The Secret Life of Rapunzel Mitty
by skywings1416
Summary: AU-1947. Rapunzel, an artist for a pulp fiction magazine syndicate, has a slight problem; she daydreams. In said fantasies, there is a reoccurring dark haired man, whom she often draws for the covers of the romance novels. One day, she sees her dream boy in real life. Soon, she is whisked into a tale found only in pulp fiction. Based 1947's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
1. Chapter 1

**...yeah...another one...don't hate me for throwing all these out you. I'm abandoning my other ones, I promise, but I got to get these ideas out there!**

Chapter 1 – A Day in the Life of Rapunzel Mitty

"You're going too fast. Why are you going so fast? You were going thirty-five. I like to go thirty and you were going thirty-five!"

"Sorry, Father." Rapunzel slowed down the five miles. She promptly had to halt at a stop light. She looked at it, annoyed.

"Rapunzel, you always have your mind on something else, always doing something else." Her father sounded exasperated with her. "You haven't been listening to a word I've been saying, have you?"

"Yes, I have, you told me I was going thirty-five and you want me to go thirty." The light changed green and Rapunzel accelerated, slowly.

"Oh, alright then. What would you like for the center pieces then?"

"Center pieces for what?" Rapunzel had no idea what her father was talking about.

"Your wedding! Oh, I knew it, you haven't been listening. What am I going to do with you?" Rapunzel sighed and sank lower in her seat. She came to another stop light. Her father looked up at a billboard on top of a building. It was an advertisement for Sea Drift soap chips. "Oh, Rapunzel don't forget to get soap chips while you're out. Don't forget, the brand is Sea Drift. It doesn't make you itch. Remember, Sea Drift. Sea drift… Sea drift…."

Far out on the China Sea, between salvation and disaster, caught in a storm not even Poseidon himself would be caught in, a small cargo ship full of a million dollars worth of the orient's best spices was being tossed up and down by the malicious waves. The engine gave a protesting ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa as it struggled against the angry current. Hard rain pounded the deck of the boat, feeling like bullets on the crew's skin. The captain, a tall, dark haired man with dark eyes, desperately pulled at the helm, but the sea was too great. He was removed from his position as a wave came upon his deck, like a hand batting away a pesky fly. His fall was broken by a crate tied down to the deck, but his fall wasn't the only thing that broke. As he stood, he realized his arm was void of feeling, and flopped at more angles than an arm should have. He cursed at his new incapacitation. Still, he struggled back the helm, which was widely turning in a circle, causing the ship to spin sickeningly. He placed his one good, strong hand on the helm and pulled against it, willing the ship to be righted. But even his legendary strength was not enough to save the ship. The helm pulled at him.

Rapunzel Mitty, a stole away on the ship, saw the captain struggle to steer his ship. She also saw how none of her crew was coming to his aid. Not caring that she would reveal herself, Rapunzel dashed from her hiding spot between two crates and placed both of her hands on the wheel, right beside the captain's. He gave a confused glance at her, wondering if she had come down from heaven, but he could see that the safety of his crew and cargo were more important. He stepped aside, so Rapunzel could have as good of footing as he did. Together, they fought the sea and steered towards the horizon, where they saw the promise of the dawn and a clear sky. They sailed to their point, saving crew, ship, and cargo from certain doom.

Once in safe waters, the captain rounded on Rapunzel. He beheld the small woman, amazed that such a tiny figure could have helped him against the storm. Upon seeing her clearly whitout a sheet of rain, he beheld her soaked trench coat and new she was a stole-away.

"You are," said the dark haired, dark eyed captain, "by far, the most insubordinate woman I've ever met. Here you've snuck on my ship, which is no place for a woman, I might add. The bad luck you broght could have caused that storm, but," he said lowly, his voice slowly filling with desire as he took Rapunzel in his arms, "I owe you my life. Thank you." Rapunzel batted her wet lashes up at him.

"I'd be happy with just a kiss from you, captain." He smiled and leaned down to give her her reward.

"Rapunzel!"

Rapunzel was rudely brought out of her daydream just when it was getting good. But it was a good thing that she was. She swerved away from a curb. Rapunzel pulled into the lot of the train station. She turned the car off and got out with her father. She followed him as he quickly walked up to the train.

"Do you have the list?"

"Yes."

"Better make sure it's in your little black book." Rapunzel dug in her purse for the book. She pulled it out, as well as a pencil and began to jot down her father's list. "You said you ran out of number two thread, you wanted to plant snapdragons, so snapdragon seeds, darning thread, can of Gleamo Floor Wax, fly spray, cheese grater, Sea Drift soap chips. Oh, and make sure you return this." Rapunzel's father handed her a large and cumbersome department store box tied up with string and brown paper. "The color of that suit isn't very becoming on me."

The conductor walked by.

"All aboard." Nic moved to get on the train.

"Good-bye, sweetie." He put a foot on the steps, bending down to receive a kiss from his daughter. "Don't forget to pick me up after work."

"Yes, father." The train whistle blared. It lurched forward.

"And don't forget the cake!" called Nic, hoping Rapunzel heard him.

"Yes, father." She waved good-bye to him.

Rapunzel got back in the car and headed to her own job. At her building, she brought in the suit box, of which, people gave her curious looks for lugging such a large box into the office. The elevator was very packed and Rapunzel had to hold the box over her head so that everyone could fit inside.

On her floor, she greeted her co-workers, picking up a new manuscript to read for the latest murder mystery magazine. She walked to her work station, which was past a sign that read, 'good taste and good reading for thirty years. Corona publishing.' With great joy, Rapunzel finally reached her work table. She set the large box down and took her coat off, hanging it over the back of her chair. She ran a hand down her dress to smooth out the wrinkles, then reached into her bag for a brown paper sack. She walked over the window and opened it. On the ledge was a flock of pigeons.

"Well, good morning, every-birdy," Rapunzel said, enjoying her everyday pun. "Did you think I'd forgotten you? Here we are." She crumbled some of the crumbs on the ledge and the birds started to feed. The more bold ones pecked the bread out of her hands. "Oh, Elmer, you've had enough. Give the others a chance." She shooed the bird away and put her hand back down to feed the others.

Some of her office mates walked up to her station. They were grinning, like they all had just heard a very funny joke.

"Hey, dream girl. The old man wants to see you in his office."

"Oh, dear, what is it this time?" She dumped the remaining contents of the bread on the ledge.

"Don't know," said one of the men, shrugging his shoulders. "Something about the last cover you just finished, the one for the murder mystery." Rapunzel scrunched up her face.

"He loved the sketch. What doesn't he like about the finished product?" the others shrugged and walked away, still ginning.

Rapunzel crossed the office to her boss' door. She knocked, just in case he was busy.

"Come in," he said on the other side. Rapunzel opened the door to Mr. Corona's office.

Max Corona wasn't an old man, but he was so worldly, it just seemed like it. He was well put together, sitting like a preened rooster in a white suit, his blonde hair combed back perfectly, like Clark Gable's.

"Mitty," he said standing for the presence of his female employee. "Take a seat." He gestured to a chair on the opposite side of his desk. Rapunzel sat, running her hands down the back her legs so that her skirt was not crumpled underneath her.

On his desk, Mr. Corona took out a folder. He opened it and handed the contents to Rapunzel.

"Mitty, take a look at this. What do you see?" She took it and did as she was instructed.

"Uh, a cover for a magazine that I drew."

"Yes, but really look at it. Look at the man." She did look. He looked good, if she did say so herself, in his fedora and trench coat, his handgun pulled up by his face as he shielded a beautiful lady behind himself.

"He's a very dashing man. Isn't that what he's supposed to be?"

"Yes, but he looks just like all your other dashing men. The people who read this can't keep having the same man popping up on all the story covers as their protagonist. It'll confuse them." Rapunzel frowned at her boss.

"I don't really think the readers notice, sir."

"Do I pay you to think?"

"No, sir." Rapunzel killed the urge to slouch in her seat. It was irritating how her boss would talk down to her.

"We put out a very long and proud list of magazines: detective, astounding adventure, air aces, frontier stories, exotic love tales, murders mysteries. With so many, readers are bound to notice that a certain dark haired, dark eyed man keeps showing up on the covers, clutching a different dame in his arms."

"Well sir, one good looking man looks like any other good looking man."

"No, men are all different. Dames are the ones who all look the same. Do you know why I keep you here, Mitty?"

"Because I'm an excellent artist and I'm good my job?"

"Because you're an excellent artist and you're-" Max glared at Rapunzel. "Now see here, Mitty. An office is only fit for woman if she's the secretary or the typist. A pretty dame like you shouldn't be here. It's a good thing you'll be getting married next week. Marriage is just the thing for you."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank God you didn't go into nursing, Mitty. With your wandering mind, you might have killed someone."

"Nursing…"

The beautiful nurse with the chestnut hair had seen too much hurt, too much pain, so when her eyes fell upon the dark haired, dark eyed man, whom she had slowly fallen in love with, she could not help but weep. His heart rate machine went ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa, telling all who listened that he was on his last breaths. He took her hand, gently, weakly. He was so close to death's door; his hand was already cold. The wound that had been inflicted by the cold, evil barrel of a Nazi glock was slowly claiming his life.

"You shouldn't cry for me, darling," his voice croaked, beautifully, still sounding like resonating church bells. "A beauty such as yourself must have millions of our boys falling over each other, just to give you their name."

"I don't," Nurse Mitty said, dabbing her glistening green eyes. "When I became a nurse, I devoted my life to lives of others. I haven't given one selfish thought to myself in years."

"Well, maybe it's time, doll," her solider boy said. "Go out and find yourself a man. A good man, who will take you in his arms and whisper love to you. A man who will build you a good house, with a white picket fence. A man who will support you and the beautiful children you'll have. A man, who will never raise his hand or voice against you and cherish you all his days." Slowly, his voice was fading into a dying whisper. Nurse Mitty put the man's hand to her face.

"What if I told you that that man is right in front of me? Tell me you love," she said desperately. "Tell me of the future we could have." She put his hand against her chest. "Feel the fleeting beating of my heart as I tell you I cherish you and I want to cherish you all my days. Please, say you'll marry me, solider boy." He smiled weakly at her, tears in his eyes.

"These wounds are taking me away from here, baby. I can't give you what you want. I love you too, but you have to forget about me. I'm not long for this world. I can't even see your face anymore…"

"You won't die. You won't die. You won't die…."

"Mitty!"

"Hm!" Rapunzel sat bolt upright in her seat, looking as alert as possible. Max was glaring at her.

"If I ask you a question, I expect an answer."

"Yes, sir," she said nodding, fighting down her alarm. He looked at her, expectantly.

"You weren't listening again, were you? Always daydreaming. How do you expect to stay on here if you keep daydreaming? I asked you how soon you'll have the cover done for our new series, Sky Kings?"

"Oh, this afternoon, sir."

"Then what are you doing in my office? Get on with it!"

"Yes, sir." Rapunzel left Max's office, glad she was finally done with him.

"And put a different man on it!" Max called after her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Dinner with the Fiancé and His Mother

That afternoon, after a long day at the office, Rapunzel went to the train station to pick her father up from work. She was very pleased with herself because she had remembered to get everything he'd asked for. Or so she thought.

"Did you get the cake?" Nic asked as he accepted a kiss from Rapunzel.

"What cake?"

"Rapunzel," he father said, clearly irritated. "George and his mother are coming over for dinner. I asked you to pick up a cake. Why must you be so absent minded? As a soon to be wife, you shouldn't be so absent minded."

"Yes, father," Rapunzel said, her bright mood dimming because of her own forgetfulness.

"Oh, there's nothing for it. We'll make a pudding, or something quick when we get home. Come on." Nic led his daughter to the car and he drove the two of them home.

At the door of their old Victorian house, Nic took the mail out of the mail box and unlocked the front door. He set his briefcase down and Rapunzel hung her coat up in the closet.

"Go upstairs and get ready for George and his mother. I'll get dinner started," said her father as he flipped through the mail.

"Alright." She started up the stairs. "Is there any mail for me, Father?"

"No. Who would you be expecting a letter from?"

"No one, just thought there might be mail."

Upstairs, Rapunzel washed her face. She splashed the water on her face to remove the soap and felt around for a towel.

"Rapunzel," her father called from down the stairs, "I set your green dress out on the hanger in the bathroom. Make sure you wear it."

"Yes, Father," she said, dabbing her face with a silky towel. She opened her eyes and saw that the towel was her dress. She groaned at the water marks she'd just put on the dress. Rapunzel crossed to the sink to get a hand towel to dry the dress.

"And don't use the hand towels, those are the nice ones and I've set them out for George and his mother." Rapunzel groaned again and refolded the towel to hang nicely. She went back over to her dress and slipped it on, hoping that the water would dry by the time George arrived. She looked at herself in the mirror and ran a comb through her brown hair. She then reapplied her make-up, sighing at the ritual. Just as she was leaving the bathroom, her father called to her from down the hall.

"Rapunzel, why don't you put on that perfume George got you for Christmas?" Rapunzel grimanced.

"Oh, Father, it smells terrible."

"Put it on. What will your fiancé think about you if you never wear the perfume he bought for you?"

"Oh, alright." Rapunzel stalked back to the bathroom and picked up the bottle. It was surplus size and made to look pretty, but it was really very quite cheap. One could tell from the over-compensating cap which was a gaudy red rose, but the scent was not rose. She took the cap off and as she was setting it down, the bottle slipped from her hand and bounced off the sink counter. Rapunzel fumbled to catch it, and did, but not before half the contents of the bottle sloshed out and splashed onto her dress.

"Oh, no!" She quickly grabbed the nearest towel and ran in under the faucet. She dabbed at the silk to get the smell off, but she could tell that is was useless. "Oh, wonderful."

Down stairs, the doorbell rang. Nic made sure that his tie was straight and opened the door.

"Gothel, George, welcome."

"Thank you," said Mrs. Big, taking Nic's out stretched hand. Her son, George Big followed her in, holding a small bouquet of flowers. George was not a very good looking man, but he was nice, if not a little mouse-ish for a man. He had a very large nose and a horrible case of acne and his whole face was a pinkish-red, like uncooked pork. But he was very nice.

"Why, Gothel, that hat you're wearing is absolutely stunning." She modeled the blue hat with black feathers and white gardenias for Nic, twirling in a circle. "And George, how are you." Nic extended his hand to his soon to be son-in-law.

"Fine," said George nervously. "Where's Rapunzel?"

"Upstairs. She'll be down in a minute." Nic walked to the bottom of the stairs. "Rapunzel, you're bo is here." Rapunzel came to the top of the stairs and walked down to the foyer.

"Hello, Mrs. Big. Hello, George." She crossed the space to him and the two shared a very awkward peck on the cheek. He handed her the flowers rather unceremoniously. She took them, smiling out of politeness.

Nic took Mrs. Big and George's coat and walked Gothel to the parlor. They were talking about the wedding next week. Rapunzel and George looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

"Rapunzel, what's that awful smell?"

"Oh, it's the perfume you gave me for Christmas."

"Oh, isn't it wonderful?" George smiled, trying to hide his blunder.

The engaged couple joined their parents into the parlor and did not share words until dinner time.

During a dinner of pot roast and greens, Nic and Gothel continued to jabber about their children's wedding. At length, the parents finally acknowledge their silent children.

"George, Rapunzel," asked Nic, "have you two spoken with your bosses about time off. I think two to three months would be wonderful for you two."

"Two to three months?!" Rapunzel simply couldn't afford that and she was needed at her job. "I was thinking only two weeks." George nodded in agreement, still not saying anything.

"Quite frankly, I don't approve of honeymoons," said Mrs. Big. "All that packing and you just come right back."

Nic turned to George. "Rapunzel has always had her heart set on seeing Venice."

"Why?" asked Gothel, her eyes falling on her soon to be daughter in-law.

"Why?" Rapunzel repeated, wringing her hands under the table. She did not like speaking with Mrs. Big. "Well, it's such a romantic city and I just thought it would be nice to see it."

"Well, I think it's far too old. You two should go someplace newer, like Paris."

"Paris is still under construction from the war, Mother." George was a newspaper reporter.

"Rapunzel, you haven't touched your food, dear," said her father, glancing at her plate.

"Oh, I'm not hungry, father."

"Oh, you know what doctor told you, that not eating is only making your nervous stomach worse."

"It's awfully chilly in here," said Mrs. Big.

"I'll tend to the furnace." Nic moved to push himself away from the table.

"Oh, no, Father, I'll see to it." Rapunzel took her napkin out of her lap and excused herself. She walked down to the basement, where the furnace was.

"Rapunzel certainly is a lucky girl to be marrying my George," Gothel said to Nic. "That Tullia Wadsworth is still pinning away for him."

"She still is, Mother," said George, smiling genuinely for the first time that night.

Down in the basement, Rapunzel put wood in the furnace. She picked up a newspaper to use as her starter. She looked down at it as she lit it. There was a picture of a British ace who'd shot down nineteen Nazi fighter planes. It was an old newspaper, but Rapunzel stared at the picture. She put slowly the paper in the furnace.

The Spitfire battled against the wind as three Nazi fighter planes chased it. Their machine guns screamed with fire as lead tore into the Spitfire. The lieutenant and his companion, war correspondent Rapunzel Mitty, thought they were surely done for.

"We're surly done for," cried Rapunzel over the roar of the wind and sounds of war.

"We're not done until I say we are. Those injured men need that medicine and we're going to get it to them!" The dark haired, dark eyed British air man could plainly see the dilemma he was in, but he still had his fighting spirit. He pulled on his controls, and Rapunzel found herself being turned upside down as the courageous man got on the tail of the Nazi pilots. He was one gun down, but he had enough bullets to take down three messily Third Reich planes. He released into them, the barrel going ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa. One plane went down and the pilot jumped, his parachute furling out as he descended to freedom just as his plane explode, throwing shrapnel to the winds. He was gone from this dog fight.

"Oh, you got one lieutenant!"

"Don't celebrate yet, Mitty. We've got two more krauts to take down." The brave flying ace banked on another plane and sprayed it with bullets. They tore and ripped the sides to shreds. The engine blew, and that pilot was dead. He descended down, his aircraft crashing to hell. "Hold onto your Sunday hat, bird. We've got this last one yet to go."

The Royal Airforce and the Luftwaffe planes spiraled towards each other. They continued their dance in the skies, eluding death and the screech of bullets. The lieutenant was working hard to conserve his last lead. Each man knew that someone was going to leave those skies that day, and the lieutenant didn't want it to be him.

He finally got up behind the Nazi plane, after doing a barrel roll that made Rapunzel's stomach turn with fright and delight. He pulled the trigger for his last gun, but it clicked in protest. He swore.

"My gun's out. Mitty, pull the gun out that I gave you. When I get close enough, shoot him."

"That's suicide! He'll kill us for sure if we get that close!"

"Then I'll have died a happy man to have known such a beautiful woman as you." Rapunzel's heart leapt at the dark haired lieutenant's endearing words that gave her courage. She pulled the small handgun from the holster and positioned herself over the side of her co-pilot seat. She closed one eye, just like he had instructed her before their mission. The lieutenant banked his plane again and came up right beside the enemy's. The man of the Luftwaffe saw the gun in Rapunzel's hand and he scrambled for his. Her hands trembling, she pulled the trigger. The other air man's body jerked and he slumped in his seat. The Nazi plane began its long spiral down.

The British lieutenant let out a triumphant laugh.

"That's how we do it, bird." And he got the two of them and the medicine to the injured soldiers on the front lines without further excitement.

On the ground, the dark haired, dark eyed lieutenant took Rapunzel in his arms.

"I want you to always be my co-pilot."

"But I have to get the news of the war to the free world."

"What better place to get that news than in my plane?"

"But women can't be in the war."

"Screw the war. I need a strong and brave woman by my side. Now and forever." And the lieutenant bent down and kissed Rapunzel passionately. She became hot, like the fire of a machine gun's magazine, or the fire of a furnace.

The furnace was spitting out embers. Rapunzel jumped back seeing that the little coals were starting to singe her dress. She closed the door and returned to her uneventful dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Dream Boy

The next day, Rapunzel's father required the use of the car so Rapunzel had to ride the train to work. The night before, right after George and his mother left, Rapunzel had stayed up late to finish three magazine covers. She was very tired and her eyes kept drooping. She wished her father would let her drink coffee, but he said women don't drink coffee.

At the train station, Rapunzel kissed her father good-bye, the three covers wrapped in brown paper under her arm. She got on the train, after accepting cab fare from Nic, and sat down by a window. She tried to read the morning newspaper, specifically seeking George's pieces, but her tired eyes kept wandering out the window. It was easier to look at a lot things, than one thing at all.

At the back of the car, a man in a dark blue suit and matching hat opened the door and walked down the aisle. He looked over his shoulder as he casually strolled the length of the car. He saw that there was a seat next to Rapunzel.

"May I?" Rapunzel looked up just barely registering that someone had addressed her.

"Oh, yes." She moved her things from the extra seat and put them all in her lap. She turned back to the man to smile at him, but instead she took a double take. The man had dark hair and dark eyes. It was her dream boy! Or at least a very close likeness. She really couldn't tell from his side profile. She continued to stare at him as he looked around. Rapunzel didn't even notice that he was nervous. Rapunzel leaned forward, trying to see his face from the front. The man finally noticed her fidgeting. He cocked an eye brow at her. She grinned, embarrassed and turned her head away, flipping her newspaper open again. From the corner of her eye, she still looked at the man. The similarity was alarming.

The conductor called the next stop; East street.

The man turned once again around in his seat and quickly faced forward, pulling his hat low. In the back of the car was a large red haired man with a scar running down the side of his face.

The man in the blue suit stood up. Rapunzel tried to not look at him, sad to know he was leaving. The man paused for just a second as he looked back at a large man in the black suit in the back of the car. The man was mean looking and he was scanning the people. Suddenly, the dark haired man stooped down to Rapunzel.

"Good-bye, darling." He kissed her straight on the mouth. "I'll be home early tonight." He quickly walked away, leaving Rapunzel dumbstruck.

Rapunzel was so put off by her strange encounter on the train that she almost missed her stop. She had to practically leap off the train as it pulled out of the station.

Rapunzel walked down the street, looking to see which taxi she should hail. She saw a parked taxicab on the side of the street. She glanced at it, then focused more clearly on it. She saw the man from the train sitting in the back. The window was down. Rapunzel bent her head down to it.

"Hello."

"Oh, hello." The man barely looked up, but then he recognized Rapunzel. "You're the girl I kissed on the train today," he said, smiling. "Please, let me first say I usually wait a few dates before I go that far." Rapunzel giggled, to show she didn't mind the kiss. "You actually got me out of jam today on the train by accepting my kiss. Thank you."

Oh, you're welcome," Rapunzel said, breathy and light-headed. He extended a hand towards her. They shook. Over Rapunzel's shoulder, the man noticed the same thug who had scanning for him on the train. Their eyes met. The dark haired, dark eyed man reached his head through the window and kissed Rapunzel again.

"Of course we can go to brunch together, darling." He opened the cab door and pulled Rapunzel in. The taxi drove away and the thug stared at it, grimacing. His target had gotten away again.

In the cab, the man was staring at Rapunzel, but not in a bad way.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Nothing, just that you've a good face."

"Oh?" Rapunzel flushed. "Well, thank you. So do you." The man grinned.

"I think I can trust you, Mrs.-"

"Miss. Miss Mitty. Rapunzel Mitty."

"My name is Eugene Fitzherbert."

"How do you do? Gee, that's a nice name."

"You think?" He smiled again, then sighed, turning serious. "Miss Mitty, I need your assistance. Will you help me?"

"Me? How?"

"I'm on my way to meet an associate of mine. I'm being followed, and I need to now keep this cover that I've made with you."

"With me? You mean, us, m-married?"

"Of the like, yes. Please, come with me. I promise to keep you safe."

"Safe?" For some reason, Rapunzel started to feel uneasy.

"Yes. I can't explain it right now, but what I'm doing is very important."

"Y-y-y-you're being f-f-followed and you, you want me to, to help you?" Rapunzel's voice quivered with trepidation.

"Yes."

"Gosh, that's a lot to throw on a girl."

"I'm sorry, but I really do need your help." The man's face so pleading and hadsome

"Oh, well, when you say it that way, I suppose I could help you, as long as we don't get into too terrible of a pinch."

"Thank you, Miss Mitty." Eugene took Rapunzel's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Driver, forget the Corona building. Please head straight to pier 50."

"Yes, pier 50- what? No! No, I'll be late. I'm sorry, but I must get to the office. Please, stop the cab. It's right here. Stop the cab!" The cab halted with a squeal, tossing Rapunzel into the back of the front seat as she stood up. Rapunzel climbed over the man, opening the door. She was about to leave, when she remembered her manners. She turned back to him. "Good-bye, Mr. Fitzherbert." She dashed into the crowd of people on the sidewalk. Eugene looked after her, disappointed. He sat back, sighing. Rapunzel showed up beside the car again, startling him.

"Here's my share of the cab ride," she said, holding out the fare. "I hope everything works out for you." Eugene took the money.

"This isn't necessary." He tried to hand it back to her, but she was already leaving again.

"Bye."

"Good-bye, Miss Mitty." Rapunzel watched the cab leave. She turned to walk into her office building when she realized she was missing something.

"Oh, no! The covers! They're in that cab!" Rapunzel ran to the edge of the sidewalk, madly waving an arm. A taxi pulled up quickly. "Pier 50, please. And hurry."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Murder by Death

Eugene was helping a short, elderly man, with a very large and very red nose, from the docks. The little man had just gotten off of a cruise liner. Eugene led the man to a check out station. He pulled out his passport, he was from the Netherlands, and it was stamped by the boarder clerk. Still supporting the man, Eugene and he walked slowly to a parked taxi.

"Auntie will be so glad to see you, Karl."

"Not more glad than I'll be to see her," said the man with a slight slur. On his boat ride over, Karl Shorty was having a terrible bout of seasickness, which he decided to cure with strong spirits. That was why Eugene was leading him.

Rapunzel's taxi pulled up to the docks and she quickly got out, tipping the driver without taking her change back. She scanned the mass crowds at Pier 50 and saw a dock worker. She hurried up to him.

"Uh, have you seen a tall man in a dark blue suit, with dark hair and dark eyes? He came here in a cab. It had my office work in it. I didn't see the driver's face, but the back of his head was oblong." The worker gave her a funny look, shaking his head in a no. Rapunzel bit her lip and wrung her hands. She ran off to find Eugene.

The short man was being reminiscent with Eugene.

"I've been looking so forward to seeing Isabelle. It's just been awful these last fifteen years for her since she caught polio. It is amazing that she survived that disease."

"I know what you mean, Karl. I know that Auntie doesn't try to let it bother her, but she hates feeling so useless."

"Well, she hasn't been useless. Her connections have been very helpful." Eugene nodded his head in agreement. The two reached the parked taxi, and Eugene opened the door for his male companion. Mr. Shorty sat down on the edge of the back car seat and glanced around. "You are sure you came here unnoticed?"

"Karl, don't worry. I'm better at my job than that. I had a few tag alongs, but I was able to get rid of them. You're perfectly safe with me."

Rapunzel kept being caught by people, having her shoulders clipped by others who obviously had more important places to get to than she did. Just when she thought she should give up and face the wrath of Max Corona, Rapunzel spotted a tall, dark haired man in a dark blue suit.

"Mr. Fitzherbert! Mr. Fitzherbert!" She waved her arms. Eugene's head popped up at his name and turned in her direction. He was surprised to see her. She ran up to him, her heeled feet protesting a bit. Eugene put a hand out to meet her.

"Miss Mitty, what are you doing all the way down here? You said you had work." Rapunzel quickly tried to catch her breath.

"My cover designs, I left them in your taxi cab. I followed you all the way down here."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry I put you through all that trouble." Suddenly, Eugene remembered he had Mr. Shorty by him. "Mr. Shorty, this is Miss Mitty. I met her this morning."

"How do you do," said Rapunzel. She shook Mr. Shorty's hands. He smiled widely at her. He then reached into the back of the car and brought out the wrapped up covers. He handed them to her.

"Is this what you are looking for, young lady?"

"Yes, thank you very much!" Rapunzel took her work gratefully. She hugged it to her chest.

"I'm sorry that I didn't notice those were in the taxi earlier, Miss Mitty," Eugene said, bringing his hand up on her arm. She couldn't help but smile at him.

"Oh, it wasn't so much trouble to get down here." Rapunzel felt a little weak in the knee as Eugene smiled at her.

From inside the car, Mr. Shorty cleared his throat.

"Mm, Eugene, don't we need to be going?"

"Oh, yes. Again, I apologize, Miss Mitty, but we're in a bit of a rush." Eugene walked over to the luggage cart. "Could you possibly help me with the luggage?" he asked Rapunzel.

"Oh, but I'm late. I really need to get going."

"We can drop you off. Your office is on the way."

"Oh, alright." Rapunzel handed her covers back to Mr. Shorty and helped Eugene put the luggage in the trunk.

While they put the suitcases away, Karl Shorty kept nervously eyeing every person who walked past the taxi cab. He really couldn't take any chances. He looked at the back window, to see if the trunk was still up. It was; Eugene and the young lady would not see him. He took the covers tied up with string and brown paper and untied the knot. He reached into his suit coat pocket and pulled something out. He put it on top of the covers and tied them back up.

At the back of the car, Rapunzel was helping Eugene rearrange everything so that it would all fit. As she was moving a brown suitcase to settle above the wheel well, Rapunzel heard an odd sound. It was something between a click and a swish.

"What was that?"

"What," asked Eugene.

"That click."

"I can't say I heard anything."

They finished the packing and got in the car. Mr. Shorty was sitting in the middle. Rapunzel took the seat behind the driver. The cab started up and they left Pier 50. Rapunzel was finally going to get to work. She was going to be late, but at least she would be there.

When they were well on the road, Rapunzel realized that she had not said anything to Eugene. She thought of all the possible things she could say to him.

"I'm sorry to for any inconvenience I might have caused you by you taking me to work. The covers for our next three issues are in here." Eugene said nothing. He only smiled over the head of the old man at her. "I work for a publishing company." Rapunzel could feel that Eugene wasn't very interested. He was only being polite. "I'm a cover artist."

Between the two of them, Mr. Shorty's head flopped around and his eyes were closed. He looked fast asleep.

"He must be pretty tired," Rapunzel said to Eugene.

"Yes, he had quite a trip. All the way from mainland Europe." Mr. Shorty fell into Rapunzel's lap. She sat him back up, and he fell again.

"I guess he fell asleep," laughed Rapunzel. She attempted to put him back in his spot once more when all of his weight was put forward when the car came to an abrupt halt. He fell out of his seat and onto the floor of the car. Eugene moved quickly to him, leaning down to check if he was alright.

"Karl? Karl?" While trying to rouse him, Eugene pulled back his suit coat. There was a bloody hole in his chest on the left side, just large enough to fit a knife blade. Rapunzel gasped, holding in a scream. She clutched Eugene's arm.

"He's been stabbed," she cried. "What are we gonna do? It's ten o'clock. I've never been this late before in my life. What are you gonna do?" Eugene did not even register Rapunzel's panic.

"Driver, take us to the nearest police station."

They arrived quickly at a police station. Rapunzel and Eugene jumped out of the back seat and went inside. Rapunzel headed straight to the clerk's desk, while Eugene branched off to use a telephone booth. He looked around before he closed the door.

"Officer, officer," Rapunzel said, almost too fast to be understood, "something terrible has happened. This young gentleman and I –"

"What young gentleman?" asked one of the two officers at the front. Rapunzel looked over both her shoulders. Eugene was not there.

"Oh. Uh, officer, I want to report a murder."

"Murder?"

"Yes, sir. We have the body outside in a taxi cab." Rapunzel clicked out, the two men following her, their hands on their guns, ready for action. They scrambled her as she led them out. "The body is in this taxicab." But the cab was not there. Car and body were completely gone. Eugene too. Rapunzel turned in a circle, looking for everyone.

"What taxicab?" The officers sounded annoyed. They thought that Rapunzel had just decided to waste their time.

"I don't understand, it was right here. I drove up with a man in dark blue and we left the body in the cab."

"In a yellow taxicab?"

"No, a pink one."

"And the man was in green?"

"No, blue." Rapunzel looked around for any sign of Eugene. He really was nowhere.

"Just as I thought, this is a case for Scotland Yard." The men laughed at her. Rapunzel felt as if she would cry.

"No, no, officer. His name was Eugene Fitzherbert and he said I had a nice face, and-"

"Well, you do have a nice face," said one of the men, patting her shoulder, "but it seems to be lacking a mind. Go home and sleep this off. You obviously imagined the whole thing."

The officers went back inside the station, shaking their heads. Rapunzel could not believe what had just happened to her; or what didn't happen to her as the case was looking. None of it made any sense. A body simply couldn't just disappear, and neither could a man as handsome as Eugene Fitzherbert.


	5. Chapter 5

**This is a very short chapter for me... good for you readers though...I guess...not a lot of text to go through. Your welcome.**

Chapter 5 – A Doubtful Tongue Lashing

Rapunzel arrived at her office confused and late. After catching another cab, she was able to get to Corona Publishing without another man dying right next to here, or a handsome man disappearing. As she snuck in, Rapunzel peeked up at the clock; it read a quarter till eleven. She whimpered a pathetic grimace and tried to sneak to her work station without being noticed. She walked hunched over, as if that would keep the other office workers from seeing her.

"Good morning, Rapunzel."

"Shush!" She whipped around to someone, her finger to her lips. She got to her drawing desk. No one had yelled at her. She was home free.

"Mitty!"

Rapunzel froze. She slowly turned, stiff as a board, and beheld the angry, towering frame of Max Corona.

"Good morning, sir," she said, her voice shaking.

"You're lucky it still is morning." His hands were balled up into tight fists and pressed harshly into his hips as he glowered at her. Rapunzel swallowed lump in her throat.

"Oh, well, I have a very good explanation as to why I'm late, sir." She hoped it was a good enough explanation for Mr. Corona. "See, I had to go down to pier 50, because I left the cover designs in the taxicab."

"You what?" Max's hands came up, like he was going to throttle her.

"But I got them back, sir!" He retracted slightly. "That's why I'm late, because I had to go get them. I was with a handsome man and coming back, a man was murdered."

"The man?" Max leaned in, slightly intrigued.

"No, sir, another man. He knew him."

"Knew who?"

"The handsome man knew the murdered man. He was murdered right next to me. We went to the police to report all this and then they all disappeared."

"A dead man disappeared?" Max now sounded like he wasn't going to believe the rest of Rapunzel's story.

"Yes, sir, and the handsome man disappeared too." Max sighed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and Rapunzel knew he didn't believe her.

"Just tell me the truth, Mitty. You fell asleep on the train."

"I would never do that, sir!"

"Mitty, I want to tell you something for your own good. You've been here five years."

"Six, sir."

"Six? That can't be right, but if you don't stop this woolgathering and fantasizing, I'll be forced to take drastic action against you."

"Oh, Mr. Corona, this wasn't a daydream, honest! I'm, I'm sure it wasn't. It couldn't have been." She still saw poor Karl Shorty dead on the taxi cab floor.

"I don't have time for your childish antics. Where are the covers?"

"Right here, sir." She hands him the wrapped covers, deafeated. He undid the strings to look them over. Something fell out of the wrappings and thudded on Rapunzel's desk. Both she and Max looked at it. It was a little black book. "What's that?" asked Max.

"Oh, that's mine. I use it to remind myself of things. What is it doing in with the covers?" She put it in her purse.

"Alright. Well these look fine. I'll send them to press. Get started on '_Scandalous Murders_' next cover."

"Murders?" Her voice squeaked. She felt blood drain from her face.

"Oh, forget it, Mitty! You imagined the whole thing. Honestly, someone being murdered in broad daylight in a taxicab. Absurd."

"Yes, sir, absurd."

"Oh, and on this next cover, make sure to put a lot of blood on the knife. Stabbings are messy, you know. We should not stint on accuracy." Max began to walk away, tucking the covers under his arm. He was secretly glad to be done with Rapunzel. She almost always gave him a headache.

"Yes, sir," Rapunzel mumbled, feeling quite faint. She sat down in her seat just to get off her quaking knees. It had been a very hard day for her and it wasn't even noon. She wondered if she really had imagined Eugene and the old man and the murder. But something like that simply could not have been a daydream. No one had ever died before in any of her daydreams. It simply couldn't have been a concoction of her own mind. However, a very small part of Rapunzel did want to believe that it all had been imagined; that certainly would have been better for her nerves. And Eugene Fitzherbert could not be real; dream boys don't really exist.

"But he kissed me. Twice."


	6. Chapter 6

**School has finally wound down so I should be updating more. Hopefully I won't get into any ruts on my fics of other projects. Thanks for reading!**

Chapter 6 – Aunt Isabelle

Rapunzel left the office at one o'clock for lunch. However, she was going to be unable to eat much, probably only something quick. Her father had left her with errands for the day. He wanted her to buy a new tie and cuff links for George as a wedding gift. She left the lobby of the Corona building and thought about the best way to get to the nearest department store. A taxi would be fastest, but Rapunzel wasn't so sure she wanted to deal with anymore taxis for the day, maybe the whole rest of the week.

Rapunzel had decided to take a bus when she heard her name.

"Oh, Miss Mitty." She turned, wondering who had called her so politely. A dark haired, dark eyed man was waving at her. It was Eugene. He had changed into a light blue suit and he was smiling at her from the curb where he was standing next to another taxi. Rapunzel didn't feel like smiling back; in fact she did not want to deal with him at all. Still, she walked over to him, making a show of having a sullen face.

"Oh, it's you." Her cold tone had hardly an effect on Eugene.

"Miss Mitty, I'm dreadfully sorry for this morning."

"Oh, you are, are you?" She crossed her arms. "Where did you disappear to?" She was completely ready to her his explanation.

"I made a phone call and was advised to leave. It was actually for the best, considering what I do. It would have been bad to get mixed up with the local authorities. That's what Auntie told me."

"Auntie? Auntie who?"

"Aunt Isabelle. She told me to come here and get you."

"Get me?"

"She wants to meet you." Rapunzel put her hands up and backed away a half a step.

"I don't want to get mixed up in this, whatever it is, not if harmless old men are being killed. Besides, I only have an hour for lunch and I have to run to the department store."

"Miss Mitty, at this point, it might be safer to be with me." Eugene took her hand. Rapunzel realized for the first time how large his hands were, and how warm they were. "Please, come with me."

"I have to be back at two o'clock." Rapunzel couldn't even pretend to protest. Eugene was just so handsome and his eyes were so sincere.

"It won't take long, I promise." He stepped aside and held the door of the taxicab open for her, not really letting her answer. Rapunzel looked helplessly back at her office building, as if it would save her.

In the ride, a thought struck Rapunzel.

"Say, what happened to that taxicab. What happened to the body?"

"They took it away," Eugene said, not looking her in the eye.

"Who's they?"

"I can't explain everything right now. I will once we reach my aunt's house." He patted her hand sitting in her lap. There was that smile again. It really was mesmerizing. As long as it came from his mouth, Rapunzel would listen to anything Eugene had to say.

Rapunzel kept looking out the window, marveling as they began to pass large houses. They stopped at the gate of one and pulled in the drive once the metal bars had moved. Rapunzel stared wonderingly at the lavish mansion. She could hardly believe it when the car actually stopped and Eugene stepped out. She also could not believe it when he leaned back in and offered his hand to help her out.

"Your aunt lives here?"

"Yes."

She really must have, because they entered the house without even knocking. A butler met them at the foyer. Rapunzel fancied he looked rather like a chameleon.

"Hello, Pascal, will you tell my aunt that Miss Mitty is here?"

"Yes, Mr. Fitzherbert."

"We'll wait in the library." The butler bowed and left.

Rapunzel stood nervously. Eugene smiled are her.

"She'll only be a moment." Rapunzel smiled back.

He really was her dream boy from all her daydreams. The same dark hair and dark eyes. The same straight perfectly proportioned nose and gorgeously white teeth. He had such a wonderful smile.

"Miss Mitty?"

"Hm?"

"I said we'll wait in the library." He gestured for her to follow.

"Oh, yes."

In the library, Rapunzel tried to look at something other than Eugene. She focused on the many oil paintings the lined the walls where there were not shelves. She saw one that was very nice.

"That's a wonderful painting. Might I look at it?"

"Go right ahead." Rapunzel sauntered up to the painting, her hands behind her back. It was a pastoral piece of workers in a field. In the distance of the painting was a windmill.

"There's a windmill in this."

"Yes. Auntie is Dutch on her mother's side. She lived there for most of her life because her father died when she was very young. She left Holland right after the first war with Germany. Soon after coming to the states, she contracted polio."

"Oh, gee, that's terrible."

"Yes, it is." Eugene wandered over to a piano that Rapunzel had not noticed at first. He stood over it and played a few notes.

As Rapunzel continued to look at all the paintings, she kept looking back at Eugene, smiling faintly. She turned her back on him, realizing that she was looking at him too much. While her back was turned, Eugene started to pick out Beautiful Dreamer on the piano. Rapunzel listened, remembering the lyrics. Her idle ambling around the library brought her to a painting at the far end of the room. It was a horribly grotesque painting of a stabbed man. She jumped at it, remembering the morning vividly.

"Do you like it?" Eugene asked, glancing over at her.

"Oh, I love it," she replied, laughing off the painting.

"I find it rather frightening."

"Oh, you meant the… I thought you meant…" Her hands flapped as she tried to explain herself. "Beautiful Dreamer is my favorite song. I like the way you play it." He grinned sweetly at her and continued to plink the keys.

Pascal, the butler came back. He addressed the two of them.

"Miss Fitzherbert is waiting for you in the solarium."

"Thank you, Pascal." Eugene put his arm out to signal for Rapunzel to go first. Pascal led them through the home and Rapunzel began to think that Miss Fitzherbert must have been a connoisseur who never thought that money was out of the question. The owner of the house had very expensive taste.

Pascal showed the two into the solarium and left them. A woman was sitting by a window box of tulips.

"Hello, Auntie." Eugene stooped to kiss her. She returned the affection.

"Hello, nephew."

Eugene extended a hand to Rapunzel and brought her forward.

"Aunt Isabelle, this is Miss Mitty." Aunt Isabelle turned around and Rapunzel realized that she was in a wheel chair. She was also very pretty, with large green eyes and light brown hair. She had to have been close to her forties, but Rapunzel thought she looked no older than she did herself. Isabelle put her hand out to Rapunzel.

"How do you do, Miss Mitty?" Rapunzel shook her hand.

"Fine, thank you." Isabelle wheeled away from her flowers and to a table laden with a light lunch and tea.

"So you're the young lady who did her best to help my nephew this morning?" asked Eugene's aunt.

"Oh, I didn't do much of anything." Rapunzel waved off the comment.

"Will you have a cup of tea with us?" Isabelle gestured to the set up tray.

"Tea?"

"Please do," said Eugene, giving her that smile. Rapunzel simply could not refuse that smile.

"Oh, alright." As Eugene prepared the tea, Rapunzel inspected the flowers in the window box. "Gee, these are lovely."

"Thank you. I had the bulbs brought over from Holland especially. They're the only things that make my now infirm life meaningful."

"Oh, Auntie," Eugene said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, yes, I have you, but you worry me with your job." Eugene chuckled and it was Isabelle's turn to roll her eyes.

"Cream, Miss Mitty?" Eugene asked.

"Uh, no thank you." Rapunzel took the cup and saucer.

"Please have a seat." Eugene pointed to a chair. "Here you are, Auntie." He handed her a cup and saucer.

Rapunzel went to get a chair from over in the corner. She picked it up with one hand and the cover slipped off. It was tied to the back of the chair and it swung about as Rapunzel attempted to put it back on. She stepped in circles, like the thing was chasing her. Isabelle and Eugene noticed her movements and stared at her. She giggled at them, trying not to be embarrassed. She finally set the cup down and righted the chair. She sat down, feeling her cheeks flare just a bit. Eugene smiled at her and Rapunzel didn't feel as silly.

When she was finally situated, Isabelle addressed Rapunzel.

"Miss, Mitty, I asked Eugene to bring you here, because your life is in danger." Rapunzel's grip on her cup flattered and the tea sloshed out in one fat drop on her dress as she brought it up to her mouth. She put it back on the saucer, fearful she'd spill the whole cup of tea.

"D-d-danger?"

"You were there when poor Mr. Shorty was murdered."

"But that was a coincidence. I forgot my work and-"

"Just the same, Miss Mitty, you were there," said Eugene, concerned. "They might try to kill you too." Her cup rattled again, her china clinking.

"They? Who? Why?"

"Miss Mitty, I can see you are a woman of great courage, much like myself," said Isabelle. "Since you have already become involved, we feel we must tell you everything." Eugene put some bread in a toaster.

"I feel I should know everything too," said Rapunzel, slightly indignant. Eugene took Rapunzel's free hand.

"You see, Miss Mitty, at the end of the war, it was discovered that the Nazi party was pilfering art, jewelry, and other fine objects from all across Europe. These items have been scattered to the corners of the globe. Some have been recovered, found in secret rooms and mountain mining shafts, but many are still under the radar, being pawned and run through the black market. One of the most recent ploys is the smuggling of priceless gems. It is my job to find them and return them to their owners. Auntie here helps me with her European connections. Karl Shorty had located many of these items and he wrote all the hiding places down in a little black book."

"Well, surely you have the book," said Rapunzel. She noticed that her voice quivered ever so slightly.

"It wasn't on his person when he died."

"Oh?"

"You see, Miss Mitty, the Crown will do anything to get these gems and all the other art pieces," Isabelle told her just before sipping her tea.

"The Crown?"

"A ruthless undergrounds man who had already killed many others before he got to Mr. Shorty," Eugene informed her.

"Oh. Well, where could this book be?" Rapunzel looked between the two of them. They shook their heads.

"We don't know. Whoever murdered Karl might have the book right now."

"Though, there is a chance that they don't," Isabelle said with hope. "But if the Crown thought you had the book, he wouldn't think twice about killing a pretty girl such as yourself." Rapunzel rattled her tea cup again. She set it down before she broke it.

"Well, let's notify the O.P.A. The FBI," she implored of Eugene.

"I am the FBI," he told her.

"Then you do something."

"I'm afraid it isn't that simple. There has been no movement of the Crown in many years. We thought that he was dead, but with the death of Mr. Shorty, we know he is alive." Eugene's voice was stern. He sounded like he was about to drift off to deep thoughts and Rapunzel's own thoughts drifted to him telling her things with his resonating voice.

She quickly shook her head and focused on the crisis at hand.

"Well, that is very reassuring," Rapunzel said sarcastically. "but I think I should be going now. I have to get back to the office." Rapunzel stood, gathering up her things. She turned to leave. Isabelle called her back.

"Miss Mitty, as a precaution, mention none of this to anyone," she instructed the younger woman.

"With all due respect, ma'am, I don't think anyone would believe me." Rapunzel _knew_ no one would believe her.

"I hope we can trust you, Miss Mitty," said Eugene.

"Oh, yes, you can." And Rapunzel really meant that.

"You're very brave to accept all this." Once again, Eugene smiled at her. Rapunzel's knees began to knock.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Fitzherbert," she said bashfully.

The toast popped and Rapunzel, who was already weak kneed from more than the discussion's topic, cried out in alarm, almost falling over. Eugene stood quickly.

"Are you alright."

"Oh, yes." She patted down her hair and flatted her skirt. "Ehehehe, bye." She waved as she left, sighing to herself for being so silly in front of Eugene. But she really had something much bigger to worry about.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Discombobulated in the Department Store

Rapunzel's father had left her with very specific instructions for the department store; he wanted her to get a wedding gift for George. Nic had decided that a tie and hat would be good gifts for George. As an after thought, Nic had told her to get cuff links too.

In the men's department, Rapunzel pulled her little black book out from her purse to remind herself of the errand. A salesperson saw her lingering around the racks.

"May I help you?"

"Yes." She flipped through the book. "I would like some Austrian crown jewels, French diamond earrings…" Rapunzel scanned the page, confused. She turned a few, still finding only titles of jewels and other pieces of art.

"Jewelry is on the fifth floor, miss."

Rapunzel did not hear the man as she still feverishly looked through the little black book. She walked away from the department store worker and dug in her purse. She pulled out her book and flipped through it. On one page it read: buy a tie, a hat, and cuff links for George as a wedding gift. It was scrawled in her hand writing. She looked at the other book, horrified.

"The black book," she breathed to herself. Suddenly, Rapunzel heard the odd click from earlier, the sound at the dock. She swiveled around to see where it came from. Standing off by the shoe shining station, a large red haired man with a scar running down the side of his face was twiddling a switch blade in his hands. He was cleaning his nails with it. Nonchalantly, he looked up and made eye contact with Rapunzel. Rapunzel remembered seeing that same man on the train, right before Eugene kissed her the first time. The red haired man was the one following Eugene. He was one of the Crown's goons! She was sure of it.

As casually as she could manage, with terror unsteadying her hand, Rapunzel put both the books back in her purse and started to weave in between the mannequins, all the while eyeing the thug. People she passed gave her quire glances. She said the most normal of things to them.

"How do you do? Fine day isn't it?"

Another sales person walked up to her, concerned Rapunzel might be having an episode of some sort.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'll take this tie." She pulled the one off the mannequin she was currently hiding behind and handed it to the person. Her eyes never strayed from off the thug. She followed the employee to the cash register and paid for the tie, still looking over her shoulder at the man.

"Would you like this gift wrapped."

"No," she said, not listening. "I'll just where it home." She took the tie and slung it over her neck. She walked away from the counter, circling a very wide berth around the man. She pulled her little hat down, hoping to hide her face. She was not looking where she was going, what with only glancing back around her shoulder. When she finally look forward again, the man is in front of her, idly toying with his blade. She did an about face any drill sergeant would be proud of and looked for another exit. She ducked into a clothing rack full of shirts. The cashier from earlier saw her odd behavior and walked over to her, concerned. He pulled the garments back.

"You forgot your change, miss."

"Oh, thank you." She stuck her hand out and clumsily took the money.

"Um, they're very nice shirts, aren't they?"

"Oh, yes. I'll take this one." She pulled one off and handed it to him, along with some money. Not wanting to get involved with a crazy woman, the cashier left Rapunzel to her hiding. He went and put the money in the register and came back with the shirt. He tucked the change into the pocket.

"And I suppose you don't want this wrapped, either?"

"Nope, I'll wear it home too." Rapunzel took the shirt and threw is over her head and walked away. Looking like a ghost in a sheet, Rapunzel meandered through the store, using the sleeve as a periscope to know where she was going. But the arm's eye of the shirt did not warrant a very wide range of vision. Rapunzel hit something hard and sturdy. She pulled the shirt back and met the face of the red-headed thug. Rapunzel squeaked and ran past the man, just as he realized who she was.

Rapunzel darted behind a curtain. It was her only escape. Past the curtain, a man was showing off a suit to a room full of people. Rapunzel backed into the room from the side, coming level with the presenter. She turned around and jumped when she saw the well dressed man.

"Hello?" he said, not unkindly.

"Oh, hello. Gee, that's a nice suit."

"Will you sit down?"

"Of course, why not?" Rapunzel sat down on a stool at the front. The man took her curious behavior in stride.

"Miss, I'll think you'll be able to see better if you were sitting at the front."

"Oh, no, I actually have to make a phone call." She stood and ducked past another curtain into a back room. She opened the only other door, but it let out right to where the thug was standing. She slammed the door shut. She was trapped.

Rapunzel looked around, seeking any escape. She saw an open box with a suit inside. Looking around, she slipped the black book into the inside pocket. Just as she got the suit all put back, she heard voices approaching. She hid behind a changing curtain and peeked an eye out.

"Samuel, see that this is delivered to Mr. Greno so that it will arrive by tomorrow." One man gestured to the suit that Rapunzel had just put the little black book in. She could not help but watch the book be taken away. She left the safety of her curtain to go after the suit, but she was stopped by another employee.

"You can't be back here."

"Oh, you mean this isn't the garden section? Terribly sorry." She left, biting her lip and feeling that she had just failed Eugene.


	8. Chapter 8

**Yes, I had to pull a Disney character from another movie. There aren't enough bad guys in Tangled! I can't use the ruffians because they're not bad guys and I don't want to tarnish their grotesquely optimistic image.**

Chapter 8 – Far-Fetched and Out on a Ledge

Somehow, Rapunzel arrived back at her office alive, but her nerves were shot. As she got out of her taxi and walked to the revolving doors, she saw another taxi pull up. She squinted at it; the red haired thug stepped out of it. Rapunzel gasped and ran into the building, pushing people aside, apologizing as she went. In the lobby, all the elevators had already gone up. Rapunzel looked at her other options. There were only the stairs, so she took them running.

Stairs were slow goings, especially when one dashes the first seven flights. Rapunzel had no idea if she was being followed, but she stopped for a quick rest. As she gulped mouthfuls of air, she told herself she needed to be in better shape. After a few minutes, Rapunzel felt she was safe, but then she heard heavy footsteps, coming up the stairs.

_He's followed me!_ thought Rapunzel desperately. She ran up two more flights to her floor and seeing the pane of glass that read Corona Publishing, she almost cried with joy. She would be safe in the confines of her office. She took the handle, but it was locked. Confused, she jiggled it, thinking maybe the tumblers were stuck, but it would not budge. She could still hear the footsteps. Rapunzel chewed her lip, thinking about what she could do. Having read _Death on the Roof_, she knew that going up any higher would be her doom. There had to be another way out.

Rapunzel saw an open window. Against better judgment, which she did not posses at that moment, she climbed out and onto the ledge. When she was clear of the window and closed it, a cleaning lady walked by with a bucket. Finally safe, Rapunzel sighed to herself, but made the mistake of looking down. Her heart leapt into her throat and she couldn't swallow it back down. Cars zoomed ninety feet below her, not even aware of her precarious predicament. Very slowly, and pressing herself as close to the wall as possible, Rapunzel crawled along the ledge.

Inside the office of Max Corona, he was giving a speech to his executives about the company's quarterly report.

"And with the new quarter coming, Corona publishing plans to put out more magazines with more in depth stories that tear at the hearts of the readers. We'll be having people falling out of their chairs because they won't be able to stand the suspense. And the cover art will be dazzling and as realistic as is if they were photographs. I know this to be a fact because I have an industrial, hard working staff behind me and-" As Max turned around to gesture to his charts, he noticed Rapunzel of all people, backing into the open window of his office. Very gingerly, she put her feet down on the floor. She didn't even look in to the room as she stood. With her back to the wall, she inched down it, still looking out the window. Max put his hands on his hips, glaring at her.

"Mitty!"

"AAAAAH!" Rapunzel jumped, her hand going over her chest. Suddenly, one of her pigeons flew in.

"What the?" It fluttered around Max's head. "Get this bird out of here!" The bird landed on Max's shoulder. Rapunzel walked up to it.

"Elmer, shoo, go on, get out of here. Shoo." The bird only flitted around the room again. Max bore down on her.

"What do you think you're doing?" If thunder could look like a face, Max had it.

"There's a man following me," Rapunzel started, wringing her hands, "with terrible eyes and very large knife. He has a huge scar running down his face and I think he means to kill me." Elmer landed on her head and cooed to her with moral support. She brought her hands up on the bird. "I'll explain it to you later, sir. Go away, Elmer, shoo." She sent the bird out the window. It flew away without a care. "I'm so sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Corona. I know how busy you can get, so I'll be leaving now." She went straight for the door, all the while, Max scowled at her.

Out in the hall, Rapunzel dialed the number Eugene had given her for his aunt's house.

"Hello? Yes, is Miss Fitzherbert or her nephew home? Oh, well, do you know when they'll be back?" Rapunzel was so intent on her call, that she did not notice a dark skinned, baggy-eyed man with a long, gaunt, and shady face walk up behind her. "Well, will you leave a message that a Miss Mitty called? A Rapunzel Mitty."

"I know how to kill a man with mere human hands."

Rapunzel abruptly stopped her conversation and slowly turned around to the man behind her. She didn't even look at the phone as she hung it up. She swallowed.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I'm Dr. Facilier and I have a most intriguing manuscript about the incomprehensible methods of homicide." The man had the smooth voice of a door-to-door salesman, but he didn't look as friendly as one. Shifty like one, but not friendly.

"I'm sorry, doctor, you have the wrong person. Mr. Corona purchases all the stories." Rapunzel tried to brush past the man, but he put an arm up.

"I already spoke with him and he wanted me to drop my manuscript off with you, so you can pick the most horrifying scene for the cover."

"Oh, I see." Rapunzel managed to get past the man and walked back to her work station. She startled at the realization that her office was void of all other office mates who were still out to lunch. She was completely and utterly alone.

"Did you know that just by applying pressure to the sensory nerve located at the base of the neck with one's thumbs, the gesture causes a massive hemorrhage in the brain, which results in instantaneous death." Rapunzel grabbed her purse and pulled out her handkerchief. Her black book came out with it and fell on her table. Dr. Facilier noticed it. As Rapunzel dabbed her perspiring face, he looked from the book to her.

"Yes, I did know that. We used it in _Revenge of the Brain Surgeon_." Rapunzel opened the window by her work station and put her head out for fresh air.

Dr. Facilier walked up behind her, his hands coming up to the back of her neck.

"But did you know that the back of the neck is a very sensitive place, and in such an instance," Rapunzel turned around and Dr. Facilier puts his hands out. "Only the human hands are the weapon." Rapunzel nodded her head and walked away from him to get water from the cooler. Dr. Facilier took the chance and grabbed the book off the table. Rapunzel saw the quick movement of his hand from the desk to his vest pocket.

"Hey, put that back! You can't take tha-AAAHH!" Dr. Facilier seized her by the arms and heaved her up and out the window. Rapunzel dug her fingers into his clothes and he couldn't push her out without letting himself fall too.

"Help!" Rapunzel shrieked. "Help!"

"No one can hear you."

They struggled on the dangerous pinpoint and Rapunzel caught his vest front in her hand.

"Help-AAAAHHH!" The vest ripped in her clutch, and Rapunzel fell over the edge, but caught the ledge. "Help!" she screamed, trying very hard to not look down. Dr. Facilier bent down to her.

"Give me back my vest!" He reached for her. Seeing he wasn't going to save her, Rapunzel started to inch away finger by finger. Dr. Facilier was not a fool and could see that he had lost. He left quickly, closing the window without so much as sideways glance at Rapunzel.

Rapunzel tried to climb back up, but that was hard to do in heels.

"Help! Oh, my goodness, oh, please, somebody help me!" Rapunzel half expected Eugene to poke his head out an open window and rescue her, but that was just another fantasy that wasn't going to happen. She was just going to have to save herself. Willing her arms to hold her weight, Rapunzel managed to get footing on a protruding brick and hauled herself to safety. She sat for a moment, letting her life stop flashing before her eyes, before she once again crawled down the ledge to the nearest open window.

Back inside Corona Publishing, Max was just finishing up his meeting.

"And as you can see, by putting eight stories out twice a month, our profits go up a considerable percentage. Supply and demand, gentleman."

Rapunzel crawled back up to the window and let herself in, quietly. Some of the executives saw her and raised their eyebrows at her. With sudden great luck, she got down on all fours and scrambled away from Max, just disappearing when he turned around see what everyone was staring at. Seeing nothing, he continued.

"Of course, the releases will be staggered, but it will look like we're putting out more and our already faithful readers, will keep coming back."

Rapunzel bumped her head against the shin of an executive. He stood up, crying out and glaring down at Rapunzel.

"Uh, is there a question, Mr. Hook?" Rapunzel looked up at him and put a finger to her lips. She silently pleaded with him and he complied.

"No." He sat back down, but gave Rapunzel a funny look as she scurried away.

"Well, of course, to keep eight stories a month, I propose we put out-" he finally saw Rapunzel as she passed in front of his desk. "Mitty!" She bolted upright, caught. Once again, Elmer the pigeon flew in. "What the? Confound it bird! What in tar nation are you and that bird trying to do?"

"Oh, Mr. Corona, you have to listen to me, a man just tried to kill me!" Her claim fell on deaf ears.

"That's what you said the last time you were in here."

"No, this time it was a dark, skinny man, and he was very scary."

"What dark man?"

"The one you sent to me with a new manuscript, but he didn't have a manuscript. He came in to push me out the window!"

"I did not send a man to push you out a window."

"Well, here's his vest." She held up the torn garment.

"Who's vest?"

"The man's."

"Mitty! I don't know if you're playing me, or are just plain crazy, but you get that pigeon out of here and you get back to work."

"Go on, Elmer, shoo." The bird obeyed and hurried out.

"I'll talk to you later, Mitty."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Corona. I promise it won't happen again." Rapunzel could feel she was close to tears, but she did not want to cry in front of Max.

"It had better not happen again, or I'll be the one throwing you out a window next," Max threatened.

"Yes, sir."

"I think you need a vacation, woman."

"Oh, that reminds me, sir. My father wanted me to talk to you about having a month or two off for my honeymoon." Max's face grew mauve with rage.

"Mitty!"

"I'll be seeing you, sir." She left very quickly, slamming the door in her rush.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – A Distracted Card Game

At home that evening, Rapunzel and her father were preparing for another evening with George and Gothel. Rapunzel was operating on autopilot.

"Rapunzel, since you're getting married, you should consider quitting your job. Become a fulltime wife. You'll have to anyway when you and George have children."

"Yes, Father, I'll think about it." Rapunzel was arranging fresh cut flowers from the garden to put in a vase.

"Did you hear that?" said Nic, distressed.

"What," asked Rapunzel, resisting the urge to duck.

"The clock did not strike the hour. I definitely heard it not strike. Rapunzel, take it to Gunter's clock repair shop by your office. They've fixed it before, they can fix it again."

"Yes, Father." Rapunzel took the flowers in hand and let them hover over the lemonade pitcher.

"Rapunzel! Not in the lemonade." Her father dashed across the room to snatch the flowers from her. He put them in their proper place. "What's wrong with you? You've been in a haze all evening." Rapunzel was quiet. She fiddled with a napkin on the table.

"Father, if someone witnessed a murder, but was asked to be quiet about it, and couldn't even tell their loved ones, what should that person do?" Nic sighed.

"Rapunzel, please, forget your stories for one evening, at least until after our guests go home." The doorbell rang. "Oh, speak of the devil, there's Gothel. She brought Tullia Wadsworth with her." Nic went to open the door.

"Nh, Tullia Wadsworth," Rapunzel sneered. She was not terribly fond of Tullia Wadsworth.

"Gothel, oh, what another splendid hat," Nic exclaimed. "George, good to see you, and Tullia." Nic opened his arms for a hug, which Tullia gave.

"Hello, Mr. Mitty. I hope you don't mind me being here." Tullia Wadsworth was a very pretty girl, with clear skin, dark hair, and light eyes, and she had the sort of body that could pull off any dress. "Rapunzel, lovely to see you." She offered a hug. Rapunzel begrudgingly accepted.

"Hello, Tullia," Rapunzel said as nicely as she could manage.

"Why, Rapunzel, the other day, I was thinking about that time when we were on the debate team together and I beat you. Do you remember that?"

"Yes," Rapunzel said through clenched teeth.

"Well, don't feel too bad about it; you were probably in one of your fantasies."

"Sure."

"Oh, Rapunzel, I brought flowers for you, instead of George bringing some for you." She handed her a bouquet of violets.

"Oh, why, thank you, Tullia." Rapunzel sniffed the flowers. "That's very…ah..ah..ah-choo!" Tullia and other company started to laugh at Rapunzel's display.

"It's a joke, Rapunzel. They're sneezing flowers. I found it in a corner store, and I just couldn't pass it up. I saw them and thought of you. Oh, isn't it a riot?"

"Yes, a ri-ACHOO!"

"Oh, Tullia," said Gothel, "you're such a card."

"I know, just put me back in the deck and deal with me later," Tullia grinned, shrugging.

"Speaking of cards," stammered George, "why don't we all sit down to a game?"

Everyone sat down around the set up table for a game of cards, except for Nic who was handing out food and drinks. George offered a plate to Tullia.

"Can I offer you cucumber sandwiches, Tullia?"

"Only if you feed them to me." She slipped a hand over his. Rapunzel looked up. George chanced a glimpse at her, nervous. Tullia laughed. "It's just a joke, George. You don't have anything to worry about, Rapunzel. I promise I won't steal him." She patted his arm and took a sandwich.

They dealt out a round of bridge. At first, it looks like Gothel is going to win, but Tullia won with a grand slam.

"Rapunzel's just too slow to play this game, isn't she?" Tullia voiced.

"No, it's because she doesn't concentrate," said Nic, putting a hand protectively on his daughter's shoulder.

"But you need good senses to play cards, and if you don't, you don't." Tullia took Rapunzel's hand of cards and put the deck together. "Your deal." Rapunzel began to shuffle the cards. She dealt them out, counting in her head. She glared across the way at Tullia, still counting.

Some might ask what a fine, sophisticated young woman such as the southern belle Rapunzel Mitty was doing on a steamboat such as _The White Magnolia_, full of gamblers and drinkers and smokers, but to Rapunzel, she was home. Rapunzel loved to gamble and a bonus was that she always won.

Sitting in the hazy room of the steamboat's main hall, Rapunzel puffed elegantly on a long clay pipe. She was not the only woman gambling. Her opponent, the Mississippi Queen, Tullia Wadsworth sweated under her cool gaze that told her nothing. She surveyed Tullia over her aces. She and the other woman were on their last round, the final prize being Tullia's family cotton plantation. Tullia pushed a stack of chips forward to join the other chips and the deed to her plantation.

"I raise you." Rapunzel cocked her head.

"And I raise you, ma'am," Rapunzel said slowly in her southern drawl. With another glance at her, Tullia laid her cards down.

"Three kings."

"Three aces, ma'am. Looks like Lady Luck has decided to not smile upon you today, Tullia." Tullia slammed a fist on the table.

"No! That's my home. My family has owned that land since before Virginia was a state!"

"You should have thought about that before you borrowed so much money from me, Tullia. But it's all right, I won't turn out an old friend. You can live in the servant's quarters."

Rapunzel stood and took the deed with her. She left Tullia to weep; she'd gotten what she came to get.

On the deck of the steamboat, slaves could be heard singing on the banks, plucking on banjos over the rush of the paddles going ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa. In the moonlight, Rapunzel could see the outline of a man, staring up at the sky. Rapunzel knew those shoulders well. She walked up to her beloved.

"I've been paid back in full, sugar." She produced the deed for him to see. He looked down at it then met her squarely in the eyes.

"Are you satisfied now?" he asked cooly

"I don't know what you mean," breathed Rapunzel, a hand going over her fluttering heart. He sounded so cold to her.

"All you ever want is to gamble more and more, win more and more. Can't you see you destroy people with your wicked ways? Can't you be satisfied with what you have?" He took her hands. "With what we have"

"But I am satisfied, especially with you. But I want our future together to be a prosperous one."

"It might not be that, my dear. Fort Sumter's been fired upon and my regiment leaves in the morning. This may be the last night we have together, my love."

"Oh, my Johnny, do you mean to tell me you're going off to war?"

"That I am, my belle. I want our freedom as much as any other southern son and I will fight for it."

"But what will I do if you don't return? I'm not as strong of a woman as I make myself out to be."

"You are that strong, and if I don't return to your arms, promise me that you'll try to find happiness without me. Try to find another man to love."

"I'll never love another man like you all my days."

"Then promise me another thing."

"Anything." Rapunzel's beloved took out a deck of cards from his suit coat pocket. "Promise me you'll quit your gambling ways and be honest while I'm away."

"Of course." Rapunzel took the cards and scattered them to be swallowed by the flow of the Mississippi. "The water will wash me of my vile iniquities."

"Come on, Rapunzel, deal the cards already," said Tullia, irritated. Rapunzel raised a cocky eyebrow to her and bent the cards, sputtering them all to the floor. She suddenly remembered where she was and what she was doing. She sat embarrassed in her chair as everyone scolded her for day-dreaming again while they bent down to pick up the cards.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – A Wild Goose Chase

The next day, a very frazzled and jumpy Rapunzel left work carrying the mantle clock to take to the repair man. Just as she got off the elevator, she heard her name.

"Miss Mitty." She turned and saw Eugene. She smiled, so glad to see him.

"It's you, it's really you," she said, walking up to him.

"Well of course it's really me."

"What are you doing here?" Rapunzel asked.

"You called yesterday. I thought it would be better to see you in person."

"Oh, yes, well, yesterday." Rapunzel stopped and looked over her shoulder. Eugene looked over her head. She buffered him into a corner and whispered, "Yesterday, I called to tell you I found the book you were looking for. For some reason, I had it."

"You did?" Eugene smiled broadly. "Oh, that is very relieving news. Where is it?"

"I stuck it in a man's suit."

"You what?" Eugene could hardly believe her words. He was absolutely horrified.

"It was a suit that was being delivered from Macy's Department store. It was being sent to a…uh…a Mr. Greno. That's the name."

"Why on earth did you put it in a suit?"

"Well, I had to! There was a man there with very large knife and another man tried to throw me out the window. He had me hanging by my fingertips. I managed to climb back up, but I've had a very rough time since I left you yesterday afternoon, Mr. Fitzherbert." Eugene looked at her sympathetically and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I am very sorry for that, Miss Mitty. I never intended for you to get involved like this, but we must find that book. Where did you say you left it? Let's go there."

"Oh, I can't. I have to take this clock to the repair shop." She held up to newspaper wrapped time piece. "And then I have a dinner party with my father and fia- others." For some reason, Rapunzel did not want Mr. Fitzherbert to know she was engaged and soon to be married. Eugene looked very crestfallen. He gently took Rapunzel's arm and led her to sit down.

"Miss Mitty, these are the treasures of countries, countries who had everything taken away from them by the war. It's their pride and joy and everything that makes their history. I don't know if you ever saw accurate pictures of Europe after the war, but I saw it in person, and these countries, all they have is their history, but they don't even have that right now, because their history is missing. They need their treasures back, to continue with their reconstruction. They need it to heal their souls. I don't have many people I can turn to in this town, Miss Mitty and Auntie, even though she tries, she can't help when it comes to certain things. I need you and your help, because I need someone I can trust and I know I can trust you." There was that gentle, encouraging smile again. Rapunzel was glad that she was sitting down; Eugene's smiles had a horrible habit of making her lightheaded.

"Oh, well, when you say all that, I can certainly try to do what I can. Let's check the phone book, there can't be that many Grenos."

After finding a handful of Grenos, Eugene and Rapunzel drove to the first one on the list. It was a little outside of downtown, in a residential district. They stopped in front of a white house that needed to be repainted.

"This must be the right address," Rapunzel said, glancing at the paper in her hand.

"Why don't you go check?" suggested Eugene. Rapunzel got out of the convertible car and reached into the backseat for the clock. "You don't need that," Eugene said, grinning at her.

"Oh, but it's grandmother's. I mustn't let anything happen to it. My father likes to hear the chimes."

"I'll keep an eye on it. I'll stay down here in case something happens."

"Alright." Rapunzel turned to walk up the steps, but spun back around. "Wait, what do think will happen?"

"It's a just in case," Eugene reassured her.

Rapunzel left the clock and bounded up the stairs. She checked the name plate on the mail box.

"It says Greno," she called to Eugene.

"Knock on the door."

"Right." As Rapunzel turned, the lady of the house opened the door, because she heard someone yelling on her front porch. Rapunzel knocked without looking, but she was knocking on the woman's chest. She noticed the door wasn't very solid. She looked at it and was met with a sour faced woman.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Are, are, are you Miss Greno?"

"That's Mrs. Greno to you, sweetheart," replied the woman with a very nasally voice.

"Oh good. I was wondering, would you let me look through your husband's suit?"

"What?" The woman became very angry.

"I-I-I mean, yesterday, I slipped something into his jacket and I need it back." Just then, the lady's husband walked up.

"You know this gal, Harry?" asked the wife to her husband. The man didn't even look Rapunzel up and down.

"Never seen her before." Mrs. Greno glared at her and slammed the door.

"Oh, no, please do-" Rapunzel turned to Eugene and threw her arms up. He motioned for her to try again. She kept her frustrations hidden and knocked again. The wife opened the door, a rolling pin in hand. Her husband was beside her, pulling her back.

"So help me, Gretchen, I've never seen her before." The man waved his hand at Rapunzel, urging her to skedaddle.

"You better get out of here or I'll bash your head in with a rolling pin." She waved the marble pin at Rapunzel. She stepped back, terrified. The door slammed again.

"Bash my head…" Rapunzel turned back to Eugene, helpless. Just then, a delivery truck pulled up. The driver got out of the truck with a package. He ran up the stairs, passed Rapunzel and knocked. The door flew open, and the man's wife slapped the poor delivery man right across the face. He stumbled down, massaging his cheek. The package was flung from his hand. Eugene got out of the car and picked up the box, pulling Rapunzel with him. They stayed on the porch and opened the box, but it was not a suit.

'This isn't a suit," said Eugene.

"What is it?"

"It's a coat. And a cheap one at that."

"Oh. Well, I'll take this back up to them. I've caused them enough trouble." Rapunzel took the box up and knocked one more time. The furious little woman opened the door again. "Sorry to disturb you again, but I thought that I would give you your husband's coat."

"What?" The woman lunged for Rapunzel. She ran down the stairs, her hand on her hat to keep it in place. She waved her arms at Eugene.

"Drive, drive!" Eugene started the car and accelerated. Rapunzel jumped in the back seat with the clock and the two got away unscathed, but also empty-handed.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Rapunzel of Paris

The next address on the list was a department store.

"He must work here," said Eugene when they pulled up to the building. "Shall we go in?" Eugene got out of the car and opened Rapunzel's door. She took the clock with her. She noticed his car keys sitting in the seat as she got out.

"Oh, you forgot your keys." She handed them to him. As they passed hands, Rapunzel saw a little gold charm of a pair of horse shoes. "Gee, those are cute. Little horse shoes."

"Yes, I've had them since I was little. They're supposed to bring good luck."

"Oh, I should have been carrying them yesterday," Rapunzel said jokingly. Eugene smiled at her and took the charms off, offering them to her.

"Carry them now."

"Oh, no, these are gold. Why would you give these to me?"

"Because you're a nice girl, and if I can do anything for you, it's give you a little bit of luck, to keep you safe when I can't, Rapunzel." It was the first time Eugene had used her first name and Rapunzel felt her insides grow fuzzy.

"Rapunzel," she repeated, smiling. Eugene took her arm and they went inside.

In the lobby, there was a group of men loitering around displays of watches and handbags.

"Hey, my wife has a dress this same color," said one of the standing men. "Her birthday's coming up. You think she'd like this?"

"All women love purses," said another. The assembled men laughed. Rapunzel didn't; she didn't find that statement to be true.

Another man, a very stuffy man with a thin mustache and a cummerbund came out from a back room.

"Gentlemen, what are you doing out here? Mr. Greno is waiting for you. Follow me." Eugene and Rapunzel looked at one another, recognizing the name. They followed the group down a stretch. All the men went into a different room. Eugene poked his head in. He turned back to Rapunzel.

"What did the suit look like?"

"Uh, it was… thick and wooly and maroon, a very dark maroon, with um… gold, no…black, black buttons. The lapels were very thin and very pointy."

"You wait here, I'll see if I can find it." Eugene left her to go into the back room.

Rapunzel waited by a sign that read of a clothing show going on, featuring the original designs of Étoile of Paris." A lady walked up to her.

"Ma'am, may I seat you?"

"Hm? Oh, yes." A little caught off guard, Rapunzel was led to a seat in a room with many chairs and a stage. She sat down, not really knowing what to do. She surveyed the room. It was full of a lot of women who had obviously dragged their husbands to this show, for all the present men seemed to be incredibly bored.

In the back room, Eugene was blending in with the other men as they were all handed suits.

"Just wear what you've been given, if it doesn't fit, find a new one as soon as possible. We're running late."

Eugene was given a very ugly mustard yellow suit, with green buttons. The man next to him got a maroon suit. It was just as Rapunzel described it.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Eugene said, laughing, "but yellow makes me look fat." He switched out the suits and ran off to 'change.'

Back in the audience room, the French designer, Étoile of Paris, was being introduced. A very slight woman with a severe face walked out onto the stage. The people applaud. "Allo, mademoiselles and monsieurs. It is such an honor to be in your America. I am pleased to be pro-senting, for the first time this season, my new autumn line. But first, I would like to tell you all of my background and 'ow I came to the fashion world." Rapunzel sighed, getting uneasy because Eugene had not showed up again. Awful things always seemed to happen to her when he wasn't around. "Before the war broke out," continued the French woman, "I was a simple girl with simple needs, but I had a dream."

"A dream…" Rapunzel mumbled.

Rapunzel of Paris stared out from her balcony at the brilliantly lit avenue of her beloved Europe city. In the distance she could hear the ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa of a train pulling into the station. The signs of the war were still etched in the faces of the buildings and the people, but prosperity still made its way to the proud and elegant metropolis. Rapunzel was no exception for this prosperity. In just her two years since coming to Paris, she had become a world renowned fashion designer. Her line was the very height of fashion. To be wearing a Mitty, was to be dripping in diamonds and pearls and gold.

Rapunzel heard a knock on her chamber door and her secretary walked in.

"Miss Mitty, I have this month's sales reports."

"Oh, yes, thank you, Tullia."

"Why, Miss Mitty, you sound sad."

"I am," said Rapunzel of Paris, dabbing at her eyes with a silk handkerchief monogrammed with her initials. "Today is the anniversary of… of him."

"Him?'

"My love, a dark haired, dark eyed man with such unfathomable masculine beauty, like he had been carved from marble by the gods of old. I've never known another man with such natural looks and such a kind and caring heart. Today is the day he went missing in action during the war. Before I came here, I was a simple girl, with simple needs, waiting for her high school sweetheart to return home. I still remember the phone call his mother gave me, after she received the news. I simply couldn't believe it, however. As soon as the war was over, I came here to Paris, to find him. I made my name as big as I could, hoping that he would see it and remember me and we could be together at last. But he hasn't shown, and my heart is wavering with the belief that he's still alive."

"Don't give up that hope," said a deep, beautiful voice.

Rapunzel's heart stopped as the voice tugged at a distant, tangible memory. She slowly turned around. Standing in the doorway of her penthouse suite, was a man in a dark blue suit, with dark hair, and dark eyes. He was still just as handsome as she remembered.

"You're back." Rapunzel rushed to her love and held him in her arms. "Oh, I never gave up, I knew you weren't dead, but, my darling, where were you these two long years?"

"I was in Africa, my love, caught in the wild jungles. I was facing quick sand, cannibals and snakes, large bugs and men with pointy teeth. But I faced it all, just to get to back to you." He passionately kissed her, letting her know just how much he had missed her. He smiled down at her. "I know it was your love for me that kept me safe, and also, theses." Rapunzel's love reached into his pocket and pulled out two little gold charms of horse shoes.

"You still have them," said Rapunzel, touched.

"Oh course, you gave them to me, and I had to stay alive to return them to you. But now, Rapunzel, now that we're finally reunited," he got down on one knee, "will you do me the great honor of being my wife?"

"Of course, of course. I've dreamed of nothing else these last two years."

"Then let's run to the church right now. I can't wait any longer."

"Neither can I."

"Neither can I," Rapunzel whispered dreamily. Next to her, a man gave her a funny look. On the other side of her, a curtain parted, reveling Eugene wearing the maroon suit and a black fedora.

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel?" He tapped her shoulder.

"Hm." Rapunzel looked up at him.

"I found the book."

"You did?"

"Yes." He handed it to her. "Now quickly, get it to Auntie." He went back behind the curtain. Rapunzel stood.

"But I can't. I have my father's dinner party." Suddenly, the clock wrapped in the newspaper began to bong the hour. Everyone looked at her, appalled that she was interrupting the presentation. Rapunzel grinned nervously and quickly left.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Beautiful Dreamer

Rapunzel never got the chance to drop the book off with Aunt Isabelle; she was already late to her father's dinner party with George, Mrs. Big, and Tullia. In the evening, a storm started up right after Tullia left, leaving George and his mother to spend the night in the Mitty house.

In her room, Rapunzel was already changed into her nightgown and preparing for sleep. She opened a window to listen to the rain as it fell. A cool breeze came in and rustled the curtains. As she turned back around, Rapunzel accidently knocked her purse over that was sitting on her end table. She bent down to pick up the spilled contents and noticed that she had two black books. One was open to a certain page. It read, Austrian crown jewels, French diamond earrings, the Calcutta Ruby.

"The book. Oh, no, I forgot all about it." Rapunzel scooped the book up and quickly shut the window. She paced her bedroom, wondering what to do. She went into her bathroom and looked around. She considered putting the book in the hamper, but it would be put in the laundry the next day. The towel shelf seemed like a good idea, but her father was going to change the towels tomorrow as well. She saw the medicine cabinet. She opened the mirror door and stuffed the book behind some bottles, some of which fell out and clattered in the sink.

Nic, Gothel, and George heard the noise in the guest room. They all looked at that wall that had the bathroom on the other side. Mother and son looked at Nic for an explanation.

"She's probably just was getting her stomach pills and knocked other things out." Nic finished preparing the two guest beds. Since their overnight had not been planned, both George and Gothel were in a pair of Nic's two piece pajamas. Nic said goodnight to the two and left. George turned to his mother.

"Mother, I really think we should have gone home, instead of spend the night."

"Oh, George, you know that our street always gets washed out in storms like this. We would have had to turn around. It's better this way."

Back in the bathroom, Rapunzel had hidden the book and put all the bottles back. She went back to her bed room when there was a knock on her door. Her heart stopped, her nerves already gone.

"Who is it?" Nic opened the door with a glass of milk.

"It's me, sweetie, who else would you think it would be?" Nic gave her a concerned look.

"No one," Rapunzel mumbled, knotting up her nightgown. Nic offered the glass of milk to Rapunzel.

"Drink this while it's still warm and get into bed." Rapunzel took the glass and had a few gulps as she crossed over to her bed. She sat down on the edge. Her father gestured for her to lie down. She did and he pulled the covers up to her chest. "Drink all the milk, dear." Rapunzel had one more mouthful.

"That's all I want." She handed the glass back over. Nic gave her another concerned look, but said nothing.

"Good-night, Rapunzel."

"Good-night, Father." He kissed her forehead and finished tucking her in.

"And don't dream of anything, disturbing."

"Yes, father." He turned her light out and left. The house grew quiet as all occupant dozed off for the night.

Downstairs, a window was pushed up from the outside in the parlor room. A dark figure stepped in, shaking out a suit coat. He took his hat off and tried to not let the water drip on the carpet. Eugene looked around and wondered the best way to get Rapunzel's attention quietly. He saw the piano in the corner and crossed to it. He lifted the lid over the keys started to plink out Beautiful Dreamer.

Rapunzel was startled out of her dozing. She listened to the piano and jumped out of bed, throwing her robe over her shoulders. Cautiously, she went down stairs, avoiding all the creaks she knew of. At the bottom of the stairs, she slowly turned the corner and saw Eugene standing at the piano.

"Mr. Fitzherbert! What are you doing here? They might have heard you." Eugene closed the space between them and put his hands on her arms.

"I had to see you." Rapunzel felt her knees go weak at his tender words. "Where's the book?" The feeling in her legs came back. "Why didn't you bring it to Auntie."

"Shh." Rapunzel put her finger to her lips and looked up at the staircase. She went over to the window and shut it.

"Come into the kitchen." She led him to the back of the house. On the way Eugene sneezed and Rapunzel realized how wet he was. "You'll catch a cold if you keep that wet jacket on. Take it off. I'll light the oven for you."

In the kitchen Rapunzel handed Eugene a towel to dry his face and she pulled out a chair for him to sit down on. Eugene took his jacket off and gave it a shake. He dabbed at his face with the towel. Rapunzel opened the stove door and struck a match to light it. She left the door down.

"Why don't you take those wet shoes off?" Eugene nodded. "I'll put some tea on for you." She lit the stove top and put a kettle on. Eugene hung his jacket off the back of the chair and sat down. He took his shoes and socks off and put them on the open oven door. As Rapunzel was getting a cup for Eugene's tea, they heard Nic.

"Rapunzel?" It was Rapunzel's father. Eugene stood, alarmed.

"Shh. Wait here, I'll be right back."

"Rapunzel?"

Rapunzel snuck out of the kitchen and tiptoed out into the foyer. She went up to the base of the staircase. Her father was standing at the top of them. Gothel and George came out of their room too and stood at the railing.

"What are you doing? Where was that music coming from?"

"I was playing the piano, Father."

"Piano," said Gothel. "You can't play."

"Well, no, but it helps to relax me on nights like this." George gave his mother a concerned look.

"Well, I want you go straight back to bed"

"Yes, Father. Good-night." She walked up the stairs and kissed his cheek. She went to George and kissed his cheek. "Good-night George. Good-night," she almost kissed Gothel's cheek. "Mrs. Big." Rapunzel went by the three of them and back into her bedroom. George and Gothel looked at Nic for an explanation.

"Lots of people play music when they can't sleep, it's a well known fact. Goodnight." Nic went back to his own room.

"Goodnight," mother and son said together. They walked back to the guest room and closed the door.

Rapunzel listened at her door for everyone to go back to sleep.

Down in the kitchen, Eugene was finding that he could not get dry because his shirt was soaking too. As he was taking it off, the kettle started to sing.

Rapunzel, who was on the stairs now making her way down, stopped right in the middle of them and began to whistle as loudly as she could.

Eugene fumbled over the stove, trying to figure out how to turn it off.

The other three would-be sleepers came out of their rooms and stared at Rapunzel as she continued to whistle.

Eugene finally managed to turn the burner off. He took the kettle and set it on a hot pad on the counter.

Rapunzel took a deep breath to keep whistling, but she no longer heard the kettle. She looked up at everyone.

"Rapunzel, what are you doing out here?" asked George.

"Whistling," she replied back, smiling. "The rain is making too much noise to whistle in there," she said, indicating to her room. "I was trying to remember an old tune I heard in a movie once." She let out an ear-piercing whistle.

"Rapunzel, will you please go back to bed?" asked Nic. Rapunzel went back up the stairs.

"Good-night father." She kissed him on the cheek. "Good-night, George." She kissed him on the cheek. "Good-night," she almost kissed Gothel, "Mrs. Big." She stepped back into her bedroom and closed the door.

Once again, mother and son looked at Nic, both raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Rapunzel's a funny girl. She can never sleep if she's trying to remember something and then can't. Her mother was the same way. Up half the night. Good-night." Nic returned to his room.

"Good-night."

"Good-night." They moved back to the guest room. "Mother, what if Rapunzel acts this way once we're married?" fretted George. "What if I'm marrying a crazy woman?"

"You're lucky to be marrying any woman, dear." Gothel closed the guest room door.

"Tullia keeps telling me she wants to marry me. What if I'm making a mistake by marrying Rapunzel?" Gothel shushed him and sent him to bed.

Back out in the hall, Rapunzel left her room for the third time in ten minutes. She quietly closed the door and crept back down stairs. In the kitchen, she found Eugene shaking out his shirt in front of the oven. All he was wearing up top was an A-shirt and suspenders.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rapunzel said, turning away.

"Oh, it's quiet alright." Eugene put his shirt back on and started to button it up.

"Did you have some tea?"

"No, but I must be going. I need to take the book back to Auntie. Where is it?"

"Oh, that's upstairs. I'll go get it. Only, will you be alright?" On impulse, Rapunzel took Eugene's hand and stared into his eyes, concerned. "You weren't followed or anything, were you? Things have been a litter dangerous the last few days." Eugene smiled down at her.

"No."

"Oh, that's good. I wouldn't like it if you met those two fellows. The one had a knife this big." She held up her hands at a ridiculous length. Rapunzel got a sudden idea. "I'll come with you."

"Oh, Rapunzel, that's not necessary."

"No, no, I'm going." She sounded like she was not going to be moved.

"Rapunzel, you've done enough already. I couldn't ask anymore from you."

"Oh, no. As I see it, I've signed onto this crazy merry-go-round and I'm going to make sure it stops." Eugene could see that Rapunzel wasn't going to budge on this.

"Rapunzel Mitty, in the two days that I've known you, you've been the bravest woman I have ever known. I would be a fool to turn down your help now." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. She blushed beet red and all coherent thoughts stopped for three seconds.

"Oh, it's n-n-nothing, r-really. Anyone in my shoes would do the same thing." She looked down at her bare feet. "Uh, I'll, I'll go get my shoes and the book too." Rapunzel left the kitchen to change. Eugene smiled at her as she left, truly glad that Rapunzel was coming with him.

**And I gave myself eye strain writing six chapters in one day...computer screen light hurts... I need darkness...**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Hit from Behind

Isabelle was sitting in front of a desk in her lavishly furnished library. Spread out across the desk were various pieces of jewelry. French cut diamonds, pendants of rubies and sapphires, thick bracelets studded with emeralds and opals. She was inspecting all of these jewels with a large magnifying glass. After she thoroughly looked at each set gem, she wrote down on a notepad near her what the gem was and how it had been faceted and it's estimated worth. She would then return to her scrutinizing of the pieces.

Outside the library, Isabelle heard the front door open as Pascal answered it.

"Ah, Eugene. Welcome home."

"Hello, Pascal. Is Auntie still up?"

Isabelle scrambled to sweep all the jewelry into the top draw of her desk. She hid the notepad in another. In her scrambling, she did not notice a little book that fell on the floor.

"I believe that she is in the library."

Isabelle heard the rap of Eugene's shoes as he walked; she also heard the clicking of a female's shoes.

Just as Eugene and Rapunzel entered, Isabelle had managed to pull out a pair of reading glasses and a book and looked quite natural at her desk.

Eugene strolled up to her, excited.

"We have it, Auntie, we have the book."

"You do?" Isabelle put the book down and took her glasses off.

"And we have Rapunzel to thank," he said, clapping her on the back as he took his hat off. It slipped through his fingers.

"Oh, it was nothing," Rapunzel stammered.

Eugene bent to pick his hat up, but he saw something curious on the floor. He squinted his eyes at it; it was open to a page, a page that had Karl Shorty's picture in it. It was his passport.

"Miss Mitty, I have no idea what to say," Isabelle was saying. "I have no idea how to repay you."

A knot started to form in Eugene's gut as he looked at the passport. He glanced up at his aunt, suddenly not trusting her.

"All of Europe will be eternally grateful," Isabelle continued.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Rapunzel said sheepishly.

Eugene cocked an eye-brow at the little book, but said nothing. Instead, he stood with his hat, his mind reeling.

"It's a lucky thing I found out where Rapunzel lived," Eugene said slowly upon standing. With his foot, he pushed the passport under the desk.

"Oh, you don't know what this means to me, nephew."

"I think I do," Eugene assured his aunt.

Isabelle wheeled herself over to a table with various crystal liquor decanters on it.

"Miss Mitty, won't you have a celebratory drink, with me?"

"Oh, if you offer, I suppose I will."

Rapunzel, crossed over to the table to receive her drink. While both of their backs were turned, Eugene slipped the black book into a drawer at the front of the desk. Rapunzel and Isabelle turned around.

"Now, where is the book?"

"Yes, Rapunzel, give Auntie the book," Eugene told her.

"Oh, yes." Rapunzel started to dig through her purse, but stopped. "I gave the book to you," she said to Eugene.

"No you didn't," Eugene said, shaking his head.

"Yes, I did, just before we left the house. I gave it to you and you said 'thank you, Rapunzel,' and I said, 'you're very welcome.'" Isabelle sat between the two of them, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Look through your purse, Rapunzel, it must be there somewhere." Rapunzel set her purse down on the table and began to look through it again. Eugene helped her look.

"No, I'm sure I gave it to you. I don't see it in here." While they looked, Isabelle pulled a bottle from the back of the tray of alcohol and filled a glass with it.

"Maybe we left out in the car. Why don't we go look?" Eugene suggested. He started to pull her out.

"Wait." They stopped and turned around. "Miss Mitty, you were going to drink with me." She offered the glass with the different beverage.

"Oh, that's right, I was." Rapunzel moved to take the class. Eugene took her arm, trying hard to not sound urgent.

"No, Rapunzel, let's go look for the book in the car. You can drink after we bring it back in."

"Oh, nephew, it won't take that long to drink such a tiny glass."

"She is right, Eugene." Rapunzel took the little shot glass and knocked it back and coughed instantly. "Gee, that's awfully strong. What is that? Vodka? Whiskey?" Eugene put a hand out, intending for her to take it. Rapunzel started to stumble. "I'm sorry, but I don't drink…much…" Rapunzel slurred her words as a hand went to her forehead. She suddenly collapsed and was unconscious. Alarmed, Eugene knelt down by her side. He shook her.

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel?"

Isabelle stood up from her wheel chair and walked over to Eugene, baring down at him. He looked up at her.

"You." He stood himself, putting himself between her and Rapunzel. "So, you're the Crown. Tell me, what did you do to her?"

"Oh she'll be quite alright," Isabelle said nonchalantly, putting her hands behind her back, "but where is the book, Eugene?"

"You'll have to torture it out of me, Auntie. Or should I even call you that."

"Oh, Eugene," said Isabelle laughing. "I'm the only aunt you've ever known. It's true that your real aunt caught polio, but she died and I used that and her connections to set up a beautiful little black market scheme. I've become a very wealthy woman."

"That's why you had Mr. Shorty killed, because you knew he would recognize you."

"That is true, but enough of this, Eugene; where is the book?"

"I'll die before I tell you." Just then, the red haired man with the scar running down his face and Dr. Facilier walked up behind Eugene.

"You might want to rethink that statement, Eugene."

Eugene whipped around, ready. However, Isabelle's thug caught him off guard and punched Eugene in the stomach. He doubled over, and tried to recover, but he was too slow. The red haired man trapped Eugene in a head lock with one arm, and with the other, held both of Eugene's arms behind his back.

Dr. Facilier walked up to Eugene and pulled back his sleeve. He jerked away.

"If you struggle, nephew, it will only hurt more," purred The Crown.

Dr. Facilier produced a syringe and injected something into his Eugene's arm. In moments, his head drooped.

The red haired man dragged Eugene away upstairs. Isabelle glanced down at Rapunzel.

"Now what are we going to do about her," she asked Dr. Facilier.

"Well, I do have a few suggestions," he said, flipping an idle coin through his long fingers.

"I'm listening."

**Duhn, duhn, DUUUUUUUUUHN! What's gonna happen next?**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Gas Lighted

Rapunzel was lying on a couch in Isabelle's library, with a damp cloth over her head. She was moaning in her sleep.

"Eugene, Eugene."

Four people were standing over her, two more anxious than the others: Pascal, Isabelle, back in her wheel chair, Rapunzel's father, and Max, her boss. They had been called by Isabelle early that morning.

Rapunzel moaned again.

"She's coming to," said Isabelle to Nic. Rapunzel slowly opened her eyes and saw Isabelle first.

"Did you get it?" she mumbled.

"Get what?"

"The little black book."

"What black book?" Rapunzel blinked her eyes and sat up, confused. She then saw her father.

"Father, what are you doing here? Where's Eugene?"

"Eugene?" asked Isabelle.

"You're nephew!" Panic crept into Rapunzel's voice.

"Young lady, I'm afraid I don't have a nephew."

"No, no nephew?" Rapunzel laid back down, puzzled.

"How long had she been on your lawn, Miss Fitzherbert?"

"Pascal found her at seven this morning." Pascal nodded at Isabelle's words.

"Eating the tulip bulbs," he said.

"Eating the tulip bulbs?" Rapunzel looked from the butler to her boss, even more bewildered.

"I'll pay for all the damages," Max told Isabelle. She shrugged off the suggestion.

Rapunzel jumped up.

"Father, she says she has no nephew!"

"Well, if the lady says she has no nephew then she has no nephew."

"But she does, Father." Rapunzel was desperate to get Nic to believe her. "I know she does. His name is Eugene. He has brown hair and he's the most handsome man I ever saw."

Isabelle shook her head.

"I'm afraid she's suffering from some hallucination." Rapunzel rounded on Isabelle, offended and angry.

"I'm not suffering from any hallucination," Rapunzel yelled down at Isabelle. "There is a little black book and a man was murdered right in front of my eyes and on Tuesday you invited me to lunch to tell me about it and Eugene was here! He was at the piano-" Rapunzel turned to point at the piano, but it was not there. In fact, everything that she remembered from her first visit was gone, even the painting of the stabbed man. She spun slowly in a circle, her befuddled state becoming more so.

"I have never set eyes on you in my life, young lady."

"What do you mean you've-"

"Rapunzel," Nic said gently, placing a hand on his daughter's arm. "Dear, please don't make any more trouble."

"I'm not making any trouble."

"Mitty," said Max, crossing over to her. "You have four covers to work on today. Think about that." Rapunzel glared at him and pushed him away.

"I don't care."

"Young lady," said Isabelle, "you're beginning to exhaust my patience. You've destroyed property of mine. I could press charges and have you arrested." Nic clutched Rapunzel close, while Max stepped up to Isabelle.

"Now, Miss Fitzherbert, we can settle this amicably; I'll pay for all the damages, and I'll send you a, a life subscription to all of Corona Publishing's magazines."

Rapunzel tried to break free of her father's grasp.

"I've got to find Eugene." Max put his hands on Rapunzel and the two held her back. "And don't pay her for any tulips, Mr. Corona. I didn't eat a single one. Eugene? Eugene?"

"Mitty, Mitty, don't get excited. We'll get you to a doctor right away." Rapunzel stared at her boss, horrified by his implication of her being deranged.

"If I may," said Isabelle. "What the girl needs is not a physician, but a psychiatrist."

"Psychiatrist?" Rapunzel almost screeched.

"I happen to know a very good one."

"Name him, ma'am," Max said, kneeling down to Isabelle. "Money's no option."

Rapunzel finally broke free from her father's grasp and ran out of the library.

"I'm going to find Eugene. He'll say I'm not crazy!"

"Mitty! Mitty!" Max looked at the butler. "Catch her, catch her!" Pascal did as he was told and went after her.

"Oh, I don't know what's happened to Rapunzel," Nic said sadly. He sat down on the couch. "She's never run away from home before, not even when she was little."

"There, there, Mr. Mitty," said Max, patting Nic's shoulder.

"She's always been such a quiet girl."

"Yes, yes."

From outside the library, there was a sudden load crash from the stairwell. Everyone rushed to see the cause of the noise. On the staircase landing, Rapunzel was lying unconscious with a table over her. Pascal bent down to right it.

"Oh, Rapunzel! What did you do to her?" Nic shouted accusingly.

"She did it herself, sir."

Max turned to Isabelle, pulling out a notebook.

"What's the name of that psychiatrist?"

"Dr. Hugo Facilier."

"Hugo…Facilier," Max whispered as he scribbled out the name. "And you're sure he can help?"

"If he can't, no one can."

**Hm... what can this mean?**


	15. Chapter 15

**This is my favorite scene in the actual movie.**

Chapter 15 – Nothing but a Figment of an Over-active Imagination

Rapunzel, Max and Nic were sitting outside the doctor's office. Rapunzel had her head in her hands, trying to make sense of the previous hour. A nurse walked up to them.

"The doctor will see you now." Max and Nic pulled Rapunzel up. She tried to shake them off.

"I'm alright, Father," Rapunzel pleaded as they led her in. "I'm not crazy. Please, believe me."

"It's alright, sweetie."

"I just don't understand-" The door opened and Rapunzel saw the doctor. Her heart jumped into her throat. It was the dark skinned man with the sunken eyes who tried to push her out the window! He extended a hand in greetings.

"How do you do? Won't you come in?"

Rapunzel was frozen in place with fear. She clutched her father's hand.

"That's him! That's Dr. Facilier!"

"Shh, of course it's Dr. Facilier."

"But he's the one who pushed me out the window the other day! You remember, don't you Mr. Corona?"

"Rapunzel!"

"I'm telling you, Father," said Rapunzel as she fled from Nic's side, hiding between the couch and the wall of the waiting room, "he's part of the gang!"

"Rapunzel, please!"

"Rapunzel, the doctor, is not going to harm you," said Max. He turned to Dr. Facilier. "I'm Mr. Corona, doctor."

"I see, how do you do?" He turned towards Nic. "And this is Mr. Mitty, I assume?"

Rapunzel jumped up from behind the couch and grabbed her father's hand.

"Don't let him touch you, Father. Call the police!" She ducked back down. Max took the doctor aside.

"You've got to help us, doctor. Mitty there is one of my key cover artists. She was alright up to forty eight hours ago, then, well, you can see for yourself." Dr. Facilier patted Max's arm. They turned back to Rapunzel, who was still hunkered down in her safe spot.

"He pushed me out a window, I tell you!" Rapunzel shouted at her father and boss.

"Rapunzel, please," Nic pleaded. "Doctor, do you think she's starved of vitamins?"

"Calm yourself, sir. I'll give her a thorough examination."

"No!" Rapunzel screamed, getting lower to the floor.

"Come now, my dear, why don't you like me?" Her hand popped up and pointed accusingly at Dr. Facilier.

"Because you pushed me out of a window, that's why!"

"But I've never seen you before. Possibly, you're mistaking me for someone else?" Dr. Facilier tried to walk behind the couch to Rapunzel. She stood up and backed away from him.

"Oh, no I'm not. No one could look as much as you do as you do!" She walked backwards in a circle around the waiting room with Dr. Facilier following her.

"Rapunzel, you've got to get well," said Nic, distracting Rapunzel by taking one of her arms while Dr. Facilier took the other. "You're going to be married on Saturday." They pulled her into the doctor's examination room, which was a very plush and comfortable looking room, with dark muted colors to relive all exciting thoughts.

"You don't understand; this man is a criminal!"

"You've got to get her back at her desk tomorrow morning," said Max.

"I'd like to speak alone with her, if that's alright," Dr. Facilier said calmly to the two men.

"No! No, please don't leave me alone with him, Father. Mr. Corona, please!" She tugged at their suits, wishing they would believe her.

"My dear, your father will be right outside."

"Will you father?"

"Oh, course, sweetie." Nic brushed a hand down his daughter's face. "It's alright." Nic and Max left.

Rapunzel turned to Dr. Facilier, alone with the man who tried to kill her. She stared at him nervously, backed up against the door.

"Would you take your glasses off?" she asked him

"Of course." He did. Rapunzel squinted at him.

"Are you quite sure you didn't come to my office and try to push me out of a window?" The doctor chuckled.

"What nonsense." He turned to put a chair by the lounge chair. Rapunzel chewed her lip. Maybe the doctor was correct and they'd never met.

"I'm sorry."

"That's quite alright. Sit down, young lady." Rapunzel crossed the office to him. "Go on, lie down, take a rest."

"Can't you examine me standing up?"

"It's necessary that you be completely relaxed. Now, just lie down right down there." Rapunzel did as she was told, but she was as stiff as a board when her head hit the pillow of the couch. Facilier chuckled again. "Relax." Breathing out, Rapunzel did. "Now, " said Facilier, leaning over her, "close your eyes." Rapunzel shut her eyes, but slowly opened one of them to spy on the doctor. "The left one too." Frowning, she did. "That's right. Now, tell me all that's bothering you."

"Well, the day before yesterday, I met a man. He looked like all the men I've ever dreamed about."

Outside the office of Dr. Facilier, Tullia, George and Gothel have arrived upon hearing the news that Rapunzel had had a nervous breakdown.

"Don't you say she's crazy, because she isn't," said Nic.

"Of course, she's not," said Tullia, a slight bit irritated that everyone was so concerned about Rapunzel. "She's more than likely just acting out because she's getting married tomorrow."

"Do you think that's the case?" asked George, worried. "Maybe we should call the wedding off, until she's better."

"No one is calling this wedding off, especially you," Gothel snapped at her son.

Tullia sighed.

"She's not imagining anything. What's so mysterious about a black book? It's just full of a bunch of little reminders and things, isn't it?"

Back in the office, Dr. Facilier was leaning in very close to Rapunzel, not taking notes on his pad of paper.

"And what about the black book?" He was desperately insistent in his question.

"That was gone too." Rapunzel spoke as if she were in a trance.

"It was in your possession when you came to the house?"

"I thought I'd given it to Miss Fitzherbert's nephew, but she said she had no nephew." Rapunzel opened her eyes and looked at the doctor. "Why are you asking me all these questions?" Dr. Facilier smiled as her.

"Because as a psychiatrist, I must know your inner most mental processing." Dr. Facilier stood. "Tell me, Miss Mitty, what sort of business are you in?" Rapunzel sat up.

"I'm a cover artist for the Corona Publishing company."

"I see. Young lady, you're suffering from a romantic delusion aggravated by overwork and insistent day-dreaming."

"Day-dreaming? You mean, I dreamed the whole thing?" asked Rapunzel, feeling like her heart was going to break.

"Don't you see, Miss Mitty? You've obviously been affected by all the pulp magazines you find around yourself on a day to day basis. You've been frustrated all your life so you live in your daydreams. You're a girl seeking love from an impossibly handsome man who simply doesn't exist. You want him to save you from your drudgery of life, when really, he's just bound and gagged in your mind, waiting to be used again for your pleasure."

Rapunzel stared at the floor. She felt like she should be crying, but no tears came.

"But he was so real. He kissed me. Three times. Twice on the lips and once on the head." She smiled to herself as she thought of Eugene. "He had the most handsome smile."

Suddenly, the door behind the doctor slowly opened. Rapunzel gaped at it curiously. On the other side, Eugene was there, bound and gagged, tied to a chair. He struggled at his bonds. When he spotted Rapunzel, he fought more violently to get free as he screamed through the gag.

"Eugene!" The door slammed shut just as Rapunzel stood to go to him. She ran to the door and opened it, but there was nothing on the other side. It was just a back hallway to other offices.

"What's the matter?" Dr. Facilier asked as he stood by her.

"I just saw him, he was sitting in there…" Rapunzel grinned half-heartedly to herself, hardly believing herself. "He… he was bound and gagged." Dr. Facilier put his hands on Rapunzel's in a comforting manner.

"Young lady, I'm afraid you're in love with a man that doesn't exist." Rapunzel moped away from the doctor.

"I guess they were right; I daydream too much."

"Exactly, and that can lead to serious complications." Dr. Facilier sat down at his desk. "Why last week, I had a woman in here, who was suffering from the same romantic delusions."

"She was?"

"Yes, poor thing was in a very bad state; no matter how a man was dressed, she only ever saw him in his undergarments and socks. Metophilia, an extreme case, of course." Just then, the back door opened again and another doctor walked in.

"Hugo, we're all going out to lunch in about ten minutes, are you coming?"

"Yes, I'll be done soon."

Rapunzel looked up. The other doctor is only wearing his undershirt, boxer briefs, and socks. She blinked at him, her mouth slightly open.

"Oh, Peter, you've got a dog hair on your sleeve." The other doctor looked down at his arm. Rapunzel looked too.

"Oh, lousy, mutt. Sheds everywhere." Peter picked the non-existent hair off the nonexistent suit sleeve. Rapunzel squinted to see the clothes he was so obviously wearing. The other doctor gave her a funny look and left.

"Did, did he really have a dog hair on his suit?"

"Well, you saw it, didn't you?"

"Oh, sure, sure. It was a white hair."

"Red."

"Oh, yes, the light was hitting it and…"

Dr. Facilier stood and put his hands on Rapunzel's arms.

"You saw no suit?"

"No. Oh, you're right, doctor, I saw him in just his under clothes. Oh, doctor, I've got metophlilia! What am I going to do?"

"All you need is a good long rest."

"But, doctor, I'm getting married tomorrow!"

"Capital. Go home and marry your Gerald."

"George."

"George, and forget all about it. You'll be a new woman." Rapunzel thought about the doctor's suggestion and sighed. She headed for the door.

"I think I'm beginning to feel better already." Rapunzel turned to the door and saw a picture of man standing in his under garments hanging on the wall. She took a step back, startling at the picture. She looked back at Dr. Facilier and shrugged it off, frowning. "Thank you, doctor. I'm sorry if I was difficult."

"Not all, my dear. Please, go home and rest yourself. You have a big day tomorrow."

"Yes, yes I do," Rapunzel sighed as she thought about Eugene for what she hoped, the last time. She wasn't sure her heart could stand ever thinking about him again.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – The Little Gold Horse Shoes

Rapunzel stared glumly at her reflection. It was her wedding day and she couldn't be more depressed. Gothel was fixing her veil to her head while her father spoke to her.

"Oh, Rapunzel, you look beautiful, just like your mother the day we got married." Rapunzel smiled meekly at Nic.

"There you go," Gothel said. "You're ready for the aisle. Now, where's you bouquet?"

"I have it," Tullia said from the corner. She looked about as miserable as Rapunzel did, however, her posture did not show it. She was sitting up straight at the waist, so as to not wrinkle her bride's maid dress. Rapunzel hated to admit it, but Tullia looked much better in her gown that Rapunzel did in her wedding dress.

"George certainly is a lucky man today, isn't he Gothel?" Nic asked Mrs. Big.

"Oh yes, lucky," Tullia grumbled from her corner.

Rapunzel was not listening to the murmurings of her dressing room at the parish. She was too focused on the aching pangs of her heart. Even if she had had a good night's rest, like Dr, Facilier had prescribed, she thought she still wouldn't be able to forget Eugene. He was just so kind and handsome. He listened to her and appreciated her and he was the first person who made her want to stay in reality.

_But he wasn't real_, Rapunzel told herself. She sighed to herself.

No matter how real Eugene seemed, no matter how many times he kissed her, or held her hand, or brushed against her, or smiled at her, he was not real, and he would never be real. That thought hurt Rapunzel the most.

Nic noticed his daughter's sad disposition. He cleared his throat.

"Would you two mind it if I had a word alone with Rapunzel," he said to Gothel and Tullia.

"Of course," Gothel said, "but she must be down the aisle in five minutes."

"That's all I need."

Tullia handed Rapunzel's bouquet to Nic and they left.

Nic sat down by Rapunzel.

"Are you alright, sweetie? It's your wedding day; you should be smiling." Rapunzel smiled just for him. He sighed, seeing how fake her happiness was. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Rapunzel said to her hands. "I think I just realized…" she trailed off.

"Realized what?"

"How I day-dream too much, and how I need to start paying attention to reality."

"Well, that's a very good thing to realize on a day like today, but don't let it bog you down. You need to be as happy as can be when you walk down the aisle to George."

"Yes, Father."

There was a knock on the door as it opened. It was Tullia.

"It's time."

Rapunzel and Nic stood. He handed her the bouquet and a small white satin purse.

"I transferred all the things from your other purse into that. I also put George's ring in there."

"Oh, thank you, Father." Rapunzel stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. He put his arm out.

"Come on, it's time for you to get married." He put his arm out and Rapunzel slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. They left the back room and took their place at the back of the church. Up ahead, someone began to play 'Here Comes the Bride.' It made Rapunzel think of when Eugene first played 'Beautiful Dreamer.' Her father tugged at her and she followed him down the aisle. At the front stood the priest, George, and Max, standing as best man. She tried to smile, but she could barely manage a slight curve to her lips.

The song petered out and Rapunzel was at the altar with George. He smiled nervously at her. She hoped her smile back looked nervous as well and not forced. They turned to face the priest.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God to witness the union of this young man and this young woman in holy matrimony."

Rapunzel heard the words the priest spoke, and they filled her with dread. She did not love George and she knew he didn't love her. Even now, he was glancing at Tullia who was smiling at him and batting her eyelashes.

"I require to you both and to all present that whoever believes there is an impediment or lawful reason as to why these two should not be joined in matrimony, confess it now or forever hold your peace."

Rapunzel looked up at George, half wishing that he would say they could not be married, say that he wished to marry Tullia and not Rapunzel. But as she looked at him, George's large nose shrunk and straightened out. His eyes went from blue to dark brown and his tawny hair took on much the same dark, rich color. His face narrowed and Eugene was smiling at her.

Rapunzel's heart leapt. There was Eugene! Standing right next to her, about to marry her. He was real, he was really real! He really did have the nicest smile.

"Do you, Rapunzel take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Rapunzel said it in a heartbeat. She loved Eugene and she would forever. She looked at him, her soon to be husband. But it wasn't Eugene standing next to her; it was George. Rapunzel's heart sank as she came back to reality. She blinked back tears. Everyone just thought she had turned emotional.

"Please place the rings on your fingers."

George reached into his pocket while Rapunzel opened her purse. She saw a flash of gold and fished it out. She brought her hand out and inspected the ring.

It wasn't George's wedding band.

George held an open hand out, waiting for Rapunzel to put her hand to for the ring. Instead, she was staring at a little gold charm of horse shoes. She was looking from the shoes to the priest to George. Her first genuine smile of the day cracked across her face.

"The gold horse shoes… He's alive! It's true! It wasn't a lie, he's alive." Rapunzel was talking to anyone who would listen, which was no one at all. They were all gaping at her, horrified by her distasteful display. Rapunzel crossed over to Max. "Eugene gave these to me! I was right, Miss Fitzherbert lied to me! He's in that house, we've got to get him." Rapunzel started up the aisle, but was held back by Tullia of all people.

"You're just going to leave George at the altar?" Rapunzel looked squarely at Tullia. She ripped her arm from her grip and roughly took her hand.

"No." She opened up Tullia's palm. "You marry him," and she shoved the wedding band into her hand and threw off her veil. She dashed out of the church, tossing her bouquet and hiking up her full skirt.

"Rapunzel!"

"Mitty!"

"Oh, Mr. Corona," Nic said, "we'll have to go after her! She's going to harass that poor woman again!"

Rapunzel ran down the parish steps and sought a mode of transport. She spotted the car she and George were supposed to drive away in as a married couple. She got in and was so grateful to see the keys already in the ignition. She turned the engine over and pulled out of the church.

On the road, the speed limit just wasn't fast enough. She didn't know what Isabelle had done, or would do Eugene, but she had lied about him, and that meant trouble. Rapunzel wasn't sure what she could do, but she could not leave Eugene alone, not when she loved him.

It seemed to have taken an eternity, but Rapunzel finally arrived at the Fitzherbert estate. She got out of the car and thought of her next plan of action. She needed a way inside so that no one would see her. She nosed about the gate and noticed a line of bushes that made the property fence. She pulled one back; there was just enough room for her to squeeze by. Her dress caught and ripped, but that was the least of her concerns. She needed to get to Eugene.

Inside the mansion, Isabelle paced the bedroom they had Eugene in. He was lying on the bed, heavily drugged, moaning.

"He's moaning an awful lot. Are you sure you didn't give him too much sedative?" she snapped at Dr. Facilicer, who was monitoring Eugene's heartbeat.

"Positive."

"Well, make sure he stays like this until we get to Shanghai. He may have hidden the book somewhere, but we have enough gems to sell in the black market in the east. And he did give us permission to torture the location of the book out of him." Isabelle's henchmen chuckled.

Pascal was standing by the open window. He did not want to see Eugene in his state. He glanced out and happened to see a woman running across the lawn in a wedding dress. He blinked to make sure he was seeing the correct thing. He recognized the woman as the Miss Mitty Eugene had brought over in the last few days. He looked over his shoulder at Isabelle.

"We'll just mail everything we need. They don't check postal packages in customs."

She wasn't paying attention to Pascal. He stepped away from the window and put out of his mind that he ever saw Rapunzel.

"Ma'am, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go prepare the afternoon tea."

"Yes, fine." Isabelle waved Pascal away. She had better things to do.

"But how are we going to get him to Shanghai if he's drugged," asked the red haired man as he flipped his switch blade out in boredom.

"Keep him drugged enough to stand, but give him something else to make his tongue swell so he can't talk. We'll say we're getting treatment for him."

Back out on the lawn, Rapunzel skirted around the house to the rear of it. She needed a point of inconspicuous entrance. She turned a corner, she saw a door open. She crept up to it and peeked around the frame. It was the kitchen, and not a soul was inside. Not believing her luck, Rapunzel entered.

"Good, this is good. Now, I just need to find Eugene." She took a step and her heels clicked. She paused, worried someone had heard her. She silently took her shoes off. As she stood back up, she was met with a frying pan inches from her face being held by an outstretched hand from nowhere.

"You might want this," said the hand.

"Oh, why thank you." Rapunzel took the pan and turned away. She suddenly realized that a talking hand must be attached to someone and spun around, raining her newly acquired weapon, but she saw no one, just that the pantry door was slightly ajar. She decided to shrug the phenomena off.

Once again, Rapunzel snuck up to the door that led out of the kitchen and slowly opened it. A voice came from the other side.

"Go see what Pascal is serving with the tea." It was Isabelle, and she was not in a wheel chair. Rapunzel did not have time for her mind to process this new information because her view was blocked by a large red-haired man with an ugly scar running down his face. Rapunzel squeaked and ran from the kitchen.

Rapunzel was outside again. She looked for a different way in and noticed an open window on the second floor. The only way to it was a tree by the house. She looked down at her wedding dress. It was already torn and dirt and grass stains ran the hemline. There was no saving it now. She once again pulled up the skirts and this time tucked them into the waist band of her under skirt. She then began to climb the tree.

It wasn't a very thick branched tree and it shook dangerously as she climbed, but the second floor window was not far away and she was light enough that the spindly branches supported her weight. It still was not easy goings in a billowy wedding gown and a frying pan in her hand, but she still managed. She crawled up to the window sill edge and paused to catch her breath. She turned to look in the room as she pulled back the curtain. She saw a figure lying on the bed and almost jumped off the ledge it gave her such a fright. But the person must hava been asleep, because they weren't moving. Rapunzel threw her legs over the window and snuck into the room. She was being very quiet, unfortunately, her gown decided to work against her. The massive volume of her petticoats bumped against a table and knocked it over. All the little porcelain figures and the vase that had been on the table smashed against the floor.

Rapunzel panicked. She heard a voice outside the room.

"What was that?"

Rapunzel dove under the bed, and just in time too. The door opened just as Rapunzel was sure she dress was under the bed with her.

"The wind must have knocked that table over. I thought Eugene had woken up and was trying to get out."

_Eugene?_ Was Eugene to one on the bed?

"If he wakes up before the boss is ready, it will be our skins." Rapunzel recognized the second voice as Dr. Facilier. So Rapunzel had been right! He was part of the gang. But what gang was it? She didn't have time to mull over an answer. As soon as she heard the door close, Rapunzel leapt from her hiding spot to look at the person on the bed.

It was Eugene, and he looked awful. His cheery color had drained from his face and he looked to be in a sickening pain. Rapunzel put her hand on his chest.

"Eugene," she whispered. "Eugene, it's me, Rapunzel. Rapunzel Mitty." He stirred.

"Rapunzel…?" His eyes fluttered open and Rapunzel could tell he was having a difficult time focusing on her face.

"I'll get you some water." Rapunzel poured him a glass from a pitcher on the night stand. She helped him sit up. He took the glass and drained it.

"Oh, my head," Eugene moaned. "The room won't stop spinning."

"I think they've drugged you."

"I think they have." Eugene gazed at Rapunzel as his vision finally cleared a bit, but he wasn't sure it really was clear. Rapunzel was wearing a wedding dress.

"Rapunzel, why are you dressed as a bride?" She looked down at herself.

"Oh, I ran away from my wedding to come rescue you."

"Your wedding?"

"Don't worry, I didn't marry him."

"I think that's the least of my worries right now," Eugene said as he put a hand to his forehead. Rapunzel poured him another glass of water. "Rapunzel, we have to get out of here; my aunt is not really my aunt. She's The Crown."

"The Crown?"

"I didn't know. My real aunt died before I was could ever meet her. It was The Crown that killed Mr. Shorty."

"Then what are we still doing here? We need to leave." Rapunzel helped Eugene stand. He wobbled and had to put most of his weight on her.

"I'll be fine once I start walking," he assured her. They crossed to the door and Rapunzel quietly opened it. She nodded to Eugene that the coast was clear. They stepped into the hall and moved soundlessly down it. They reached the staircase, but could go no further. They heard voices wafting up from the downstairs.

"We can't go down this way," Eugene whispered.

"It's the only way. I got in here up a tree, but I don't think you can climb it in your condition." Rapunzel hovered a foot of the top stair.

"Rapunzel, no!"

The step creaked loudly, even without little weight on it.

"What was that?" The voice came from the library. Three people ran out: Isabelle, the red haired thug, and Dr. Facilier.

"I thought we took care of that girl!" shrieked The Crown. "And you," she rounded on Dr, Facilier and slapped him. "I thought you had him drugged." Her henchmen stared at her like dejected dogs. "Don't just stand there, get them!" The two men ran up the stairs. Dr. Facilier had a syringe in his hand and the other flicked out his blade.

Eugene tried to stand to defend himself and Rapunzel, but he couldn't. He held on to the railing for support.

Dr. Facilier was the first to reach the two.

"Now, my dear, didn't I tell you that all this is just a creation of your imagination. He lunged at her with the needle and Rapunzel brought her frying pan down in his head. He stumbled back from the blow and lost his footing. He fell back on the knife wielding thug, who went down with him.

"You idiots!"

The red haired man tossed the doctor off of himself and started up the stairs again.

"Don't you come any closer," Rapunzel warned. "You saw what I did to your ugly friend down there. I'll do it to you too." The thug didn't take the advice and raised his blade to stabbed Rapunzel.

Eugene had finally recovered enough from the drugs he had been administrated and slammed his fist into the man's gut. He doubled over, dropping his switch blade and Rapunzel brought her frying pan upon his head. He collapsed on the stairs, and even slid down a few steps. Eugene grinned at Rapunzel.

"Remind me to never insult your cooking." Rapunzel grinned herself at his quip. "Come on." Eugene took Rapunzel's hand and they stepped over their recently defeated enemies. At some point, Isabelle had vanished from the foyer. They made way for the door when a bullet whizzed past them. They turned in the direction of the library, where The Crown was standing in the doorway.

"Leaving so soon? Pascal just served the tea. Won't you stay for a cup?" Isabelle advanced towards them. Eugene put Rapunzel behind himself. "Now tell me, Eugene, where is the book?"

Eugene glanced down at Rapunzel. He looked back at The Crown.

"If you let Rapunzel go, I will tell you."

"Eugene, no!" Rapunzel put her hand on his arm. "Don't worry about me."

"I have to worry about you. I couldn't live with myself if I let any harm come to you."

"Oh, how sweet, the two have found love." Isabelle cocked the gun. "Where is the book?" she growled.

"Rapunzel first."

"I'm not playing your gam-" The Crown did not finish her thought. Outside, sirens could be heard. Rapunzel took the chance of Isabelle's bewilderment and brought her frying pan down on her hand that held the gun. Isabelle cried out in pain. Rapunzel shoved her to the ground and held the pan inches from her throat.

"Well done," Rapunzel," Eugene applauded.

The front door banged open and the police filed in, as did Rapunzel's father and everyone else. Max ran for her and shoved her aside from Isabelle.

"Mitty, leave that woman alone."

"Hey, get your hands off her!" Eugene shouted, just before he punched Max in the face. He fell to the floor, clutching his jaw.

"Eugene, no! That's my boss." She held him back from bringing anymore harm to Max.

Nic rushed to Rapunzel, taking her in his arms.

"Oh, Rapunzel why did you go running off like that? You gave me a heart attack!"

"Alright, what's going on here?" asked a police officer. He looked at anyone who had an answer. Eugene did.

"These three people are international criminals. That one there is The Crown. I think you'll find that the FBI has a very large file on her."

"Don't forget, Eugene, they're murders and kidnappers," Rapunzel said.

"Officers, they're lying!" shouted Isabelle as she was pulled to her feet. "These two broke into my house and assaulted me."

"We can prove that she's The Crown." Eugene ducked into the library. He came back out with the black book in his hands. "This is a list of art pieces and jewelry stolen by the Nazi Party during the war. She intended to sell these pieces on the black market."

"How can we believe what you say," asked the cop.

"Because," Eugene reached into his suit coat, "I work for the FBI." He held out a badge with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's insignia. "Just give a call to the FBI; they know who I am."

"I'll also testify that these two are telling the truth." Pascal had suddenly shown up. Eugene looked at him, surprised. "I'll also say that this woman has been impersonating the real Isabelle Fitzherbert for the last fifteen years." He turned to The Crown. "And might I just add that the real Miss Fitzherbert was far nicer than you are."

Isabelle, Dr. Facilier, and the red-haired man were put in cuffs and taken away. As she passed, Isabelle glared at Eugene.

"I would have offered you part of our profit."

"And I wouldn't have taken it."

The three were taken out and Eugene looked down at Rapunzel, putting an arm around her.

"Thank you, Rapunzel. I don't know what would have happened to me if you had not shown up." Rapunzel smiled up at him. It seemed like Eugene wanted to kiss her and even leaned down to do so when George walked up to Rapunzel and saw Eugene. He pushed himself in between the two of them and was quite cross with Rapunzel.

"Who's he?" he asked, pointing his finger at Eugene.

"Oh, this is Eugene. Now you'll understand why I left the wedding."

"Oh, I understand," said Tullia as she crossed to Rapunzel. "You filthy little two-timer." Rapunzel gasped at Tullia's accusation.

"Rapunzel, how could you?" said Nic woefully.

"No, Eugene can explain everything, Father. He was with me every minute."

"So while my son has remained faithful to you," Gothel said, "refusing the advances of another woman, you've been loitering with this bo-hunk?"

"Bo-hunk?" Eugene repeated angrily. "Now see here, I don't know who any of you are, but all of you should be ashamed of yourselves, the way you're speaking to Rapunzel."

"And who are you to speak to us? You're just as bad as Rapunzel, whoever you are, sneaking behind backs with her," Tullia said.

"Rapunzel, really, how could?" asked Nic again.

"I'm going to consider your actions today considerably, Mitty. I can't have loose women working in my company."

"Shut up, all of you!" Mouths closed and eyes widened at Rapunzel. She glared at every single one of them, all except one. "But not you, Eugene." She smiled warmly at him. "You were the first person in my life who actually stopped to listen to me." She rounded on the others. "But the rest of you are going to listen to me, and you're going to listen good. All my life, other people have been telling me what to say, how to act, what to think, when none of you think at all. You can't get past the confines of your own mind to even fathom that stories exist. So I day-dream. At least I do a lot more than any of you do; I escape."

Rapunzel began to pace in front of everyone. She stopped in front of her ex-fiancé.

"You, George, always on eggshells around your mother, so afraid, you'll upset her. You're so scared of her; you didn't even have the guts to tell her you didn't want to marry me. And you," Rapunzel said as she turned to Mrs. Big. "What sort of mother are you that you put your own son down and don't even show him any affection? Are you afraid to? And what about you, Tullia?" She jumped at Rapunzel's sharp voice. "You call me a filthy two-timer, but you're worse than me; you went after an engaged man. You always thought you were better than me, but take a look at yourself." Rapunzel stopped at her father. She took his hand.

"Father, I know you only love me, but don't you realize you're smothering me, never letting me make mistakes, always afraid of what others will think if they know you have an odd daughter. You have to let me go."

"What," chuckled Max. "No tongue lashing for me?"

"No, I've saved you for last." Rapunzel stomped up to his face and looked quite scared of her. "You pump yourself so full of hot air, because you're afraid people won't listen to you. Well, here's some news for you; people don't. No one would ever listen to anyone who puts others down, especially an employee like me. The only time you ever did anything right was when you hired me to be one of your artists. You've kept me this long because you know readers read the magazines with my covers. Oh, don't think I didn't know that; I can read sales reports.

"You all should be ashamed of the way you've treated me, and others. And I can tell you this right now, I won't stand for it any longer."

The assembled caught glances at one another, speechless from Rapunzel's berating.

Eugene clicked his heels together awkwardly.

"Well, I'm hungry. Are you hungry, Rapunzel, because I know a great place to eat."

"Actually, yes." Eugene put his arm out for her to take. They walked past the others. "But first, I think I'd like to change out of this wedding dress. It's rather cumbersome."

**Haha, of course this is how it would end with these two. Wait, there's and epilogue. **


	17. Chapter 17

Epilog: The Last Day-Dream

Rapunzel stood in awe of her new title, which was labeled on the pane of glass of her new office door.

"Head cover artist," Eugene said next to her. "It's really a very becoming title for you, darling." He gave her shoulders a squeeze.

"I just wanted you to see it before you two went on your honeymoon," Max said to the newlyweds. "So, what do you think, Mitty? I mean, Fitzherbert, uh, Mrs. Fitzherbert." He eyed Eugene nervously.

"Please, Mr. Corona, call me Rapunzel."

"Well, if I call you Rapunzel, you must call me Max."

"Alright… Max."

"Well, I'll let you two go. Don't want you to be late for your trip to Venice." Max shook both their hands. "And when you get back, Rapunzel, no more day-dreaming."

"Oh, no, sir, I have no need to day-dream anymore."

Max left, nodding his head.

Eugene looked down at her as they wandered to the elevator.

"So, you really won't day-dream anymore?"

"Oh, well, there is one last day-dream."

"Mm, and what does it entail?"

"Well, myself, obviously."

"Obviously."

"And a certain dark haired, dark eyed man, whom I'm very much in love with, and the two of us are sitting in a gondola on a Venetian canal."

"Hm, that sounds strangely like the honeymoon we're about to go on."

"Does it? Well, I wonder why."

The two laughed and as they boarded the elevator, Eugene leaned down to kiss Rapunzel on the lips, and this time, he didn't have any better reason than that he wanted to.

The End

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!**


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